logo
Community-led BSL programme helps SMK Dalat students pass SPM

Community-led BSL programme helps SMK Dalat students pass SPM

Borneo Post21-06-2025
Fatimah (back row, second left) takes a group photo with students who achieved excellent results in the 2024 SPM. Also seen are Mathew (left) and Magdaline (right).
DALAT (June 22): The 'Bimbing Sampai Lulus' (BSL) programme at SMK Dalat has successfully helped all participating students obtain their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) qualifications.
Sarawak Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the programme — which began in 2021 at Kampung Medong — initially served to assist students who failed to obtain their SPM certificate, with a focus on Bahasa Melayu and History.
'The core objective of BSL is not just to boost passing rates; it is a reflection of a united community effort in educating our children. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.
'Education is no longer the sole responsibility of teachers — it is a shared commitment involving parents, community leaders, government agencies and the wider community,' said the Dalat assemblywoman during the 'Program Intervensi Bimbingan Khas Sekolah' (PIBKS) Appreciation Ceremony organised by the Dalat District Education Office (PPD) at Dewan Jerunai, SMK Dalat here yesterday.
Fatimah said following the success of the pilot phase, the programme was expanded to other villages and continued to deliver positive results, with SMK Dalat again recording success in 2022.
In 2023, the programme was introduced at SMK Oya and achieved outstanding outcomes, with all participating students obtaining their SPM certificates.
'In 2024, the BSL programme was further enhanced — in addition to Bahasa Melayu and History, Mathematics was added due to the need to address persistent underperformance in this subject. Early results show encouraging improvements.'
She also commended SK Saint John for its implementation of PIBKS, which is a pilot remedial initiative carried out through collaboration between PPD Dalat, the school and the Kampung Medong community.
She said as of January this year, four out of 12 students under the Bahasa Melayu remedial module successfully exited the programme, while 10 out of 20 students in the Mathematics module had shown similar progress.
'Remarkably, the teaching modules are guided by SPM school leavers and local community members under the supervision of special remedial teachers. This is a true example of effective grassroots collaboration,' she said.
Fatimah added that with the active involvement of the district office, KMKK, parents, and local communities, Dalat is well-positioned to become a pioneer district in community-based education.
'This is no small achievement – it is living proof that when a community unites for education, extraordinary things can happen,' she said, expressing confidence that with continued commitment, creativity, and collaboration, Dalat could one day be known not only for its renowned 'balau' and sago products, but also as a hub for producing knowledgeable and well-educated human capital.
Among those present were Dalat District Officer Mathew Hubert, PPD Dalat officer Magdaline Jon, and SMK Dalat principal Samsul Bohari. Bimbing Sampai Lulus BSL fatimah abdullah lead SMK Dalat SPM
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fatimah: JKM gives mothers one month before acting on baby hatch cases
Fatimah: JKM gives mothers one month before acting on baby hatch cases

Borneo Post

time4 hours ago

  • Borneo Post

Fatimah: JKM gives mothers one month before acting on baby hatch cases

The Baby Hatch at BMC. – Photo By Chimon Upon KUCHING (July 2): The Social Welfare Department (JKM) must provide a one-month window for mothers of babies left at baby hatches to come forward before any further steps are taken, said Sarawak Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah. 'This is an existing JKM regulation. It is mandatory to allow a one-month period for the baby's mother to come forward, in case she changes her mind and wants to take back and care for the child herself,' she said when contacted by Utusan Borneo . She was responding to public concerns over efforts by the Kuching Division Social Welfare Office (PKMB) to trace the mother of a baby boy placed at the Baby Hatch at Borneo Medical Centre (BMC) on June 15, 2025. In a statement on Tuesday, PKMB Kuching said they were seeking the mother of the 14-day-old infant to obtain essential information for placement and birth certificate registration purposes. The move drew mixed reactions online, with some questioning whether it was appropriate to seek out the mother, given the confidential nature of baby hatches. Clarifying the matter, Fatimah reiterated that the tracing process is part of JKM's standard procedure, not to penalise the mother, but to give her a chance to reclaim the child if she changes her mind within the stipulated timeframe. She added that if the baby remains under JKM's care, its officers will manage the birth certificate registration process. The certificate, issued by the National Registration Department (JPN), can be completed even without the parents' details. 'If the baby's parents are unknown, the birth certificate will state 'NO INFORMATION' in the mother's name column,' she said. Currently attending the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Early Childhood Development 2025 in Manila, Bangkok, Fatimah further noted that if the baby is later adopted, a citizenship application may be submitted under Article 15(A) of the Federal Constitution. She also stressed that baby hatches are a safe option and a lifeline for vulnerable infants. 'The act of placing a baby in a baby hatch is a sign that the mother wants the baby to be safe and to have a brighter future, while also keeping her identity confidential. 'I want to stress that tracking down the mother is part of JKM's existing procedure, to allow time in case the mother changes her mind and wants to reclaim and care for the baby herself,' she said. Meanwhile, PKMB Kuching confirmed that the case is still under investigation by the Child Protector at the Welfare Office under the Child Act 2001. baby hatch fatimah abdullah social welfare department

Our pre-U system is broken. Pretending otherwise will not fix it — Vanessa Scully and Sean Thum
Our pre-U system is broken. Pretending otherwise will not fix it — Vanessa Scully and Sean Thum

Malay Mail

time3 days ago

  • Malay Mail

Our pre-U system is broken. Pretending otherwise will not fix it — Vanessa Scully and Sean Thum

JUNE 30 — Every year, thousands of Malaysian students sit for their SPM exams. And every year, graduates are given a plethora of options post-SPM. Some choose to take A-levels, international baccalaureate, AUSMAT or others. Some begin working. Others, who opt for public higher education, are sorted, by choice or by circumstance into one of several public pre-university pathways: STPM, matriculation, or Asasi (foundation). In theory, all three aim to prepare students for the same thing: a place in a public university. But in reality, the system isn't just disjointed. It's deeply unfair. When it comes to the UPU system, Malaysia's centralised public university intake, all CGPAs are treated as equal. A 4.0 from STPM is viewed the same as a 4.0 from Matrikulasi or Asasi. On paper, that may sound efficient. In practice, it erases a crucial truth: not all pre-U tracks are created equal. Let's not kid ourselves. STPM is objectively the most academically rigorous of the three. Spanning 18 months, with a curriculum benchmarked against international standards, STPM students face national-level exams, external assessments, and grading that is anything but lenient. Perfect scores are rare, not because these students lack ability, but because the bar is incredibly high. Meanwhile, Matrikulasi and Asasi programmes, both governed internally by the Ministry of Education or individual universities, have consistently produced far more students with a perfect 4.0. That gap in academic difficulty is not something we should gloss over. It matters. And ignoring it in the UPU selection process is not just bad policy, it's a quiet betrayal of the very idea of meritocracy. The authors say Malaysia needs a single nationalised pre-U standard: one that treats students equally, regardless of where they studied. — Bernama pic If fairness is what we claim to uphold, then it's time for transparency. The Ministry of Higher Education should release, publicly, the annual breakdown of how many students achieve 4.0 CGPAs in each stream. The data will allow us to confront what many students and educators have known for years: we have a system that punishes those who choose the harder path. Let's be clear: this is not about dismantling Matrikulasi or Asasi. They serve a purpose, and an important one. As a Matrikulasi alumna ourselves, we will be the first to say it provided us with structure, financial support, and a safe, focused learning environment. For students from low-income families, it's a lifeline. For some, it's the first real chance they've had to focus solely on education. But the issue isn't the existence of these programmes. It's that we have three separate systems, with different standards, all feeding into the same university pipeline without any harmonisation. Moving forward, what we need is to standardise the syllabus, unify the assessments, and calibrate the grading. Essentially, Malaysia needs a single nationalised pre-U standard: one that treats students equally, regardless of where they studied. Much like the SAT in the US or the gaokao in China, we need to create a system that is consistent, credible, and transparent. Only then can we say, honestly, that this country values merit. The longer we avoid this conversation, the more credibility we lose as a country that claims to uphold both excellence and equity. If we don't fix this, we'll keep repeating the same debates: who deserves to enter Matrikulasi, who got left out of medicine, who was 'unfairly' denied a spot in law school. We cannot put the blame on brain drain when we do not create a safe environment for quality minds to develop and thrive in this country. This is more than education policy. It's about rebuilding trust in public institutions. It's about giving our youth across all races, income levels, and regions a system they can believe in. We cannot build a future on uneven ground. We cannot keep gaslighting our students into thinking this system is fair when so many of them know it's not. And we cannot afford to lose our brightest minds to broken processes and quiet injustices. We owe them better. And we owe this country a future built not on bureaucracy, but on actual, meaningful merit. * Vanessa Scully & Dr Sean Thum are co-chairs of a youth non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Vokal Sejiwa. Aside from that, Scully is a criminal lawyer and Thum is a policy officer in the Ministry of Communications. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

DID called to monitor coastal embankment in Kpg Bungai following house collapse from waves
DID called to monitor coastal embankment in Kpg Bungai following house collapse from waves

Borneo Post

time3 days ago

  • Borneo Post

DID called to monitor coastal embankment in Kpg Bungai following house collapse from waves

Rosey inspects the collapsed house in Kampung Bungai during her working visit. MIRI (June 30): The Department of Irrigation and Drainage Malaysia (DID) was called to Kampung Bungai to monitor the coastal embankment area following the recent collapse of a house after it was hit by waves. Deputy Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Rosey Yunus said the urgency was due to the many houses there that were at risk. 'DID must monitor and take the necessary actions to protect the residents. A sea wall needs to be built, because one house has already collapsed here in Kampung Bungai. 'So, I don't want to just hear about tender (process). What I want to see is actual implementation,' she said during a working visit to the collapsed house site last Saturday. Meanwhile, she said the Miri Welfare Department had been informed to come and assess the needs of the victim, and that necessary assistance would be channelled to them through the department. Following the incident, the houseowner, fisherman Bihie Ismail, 72, is temporarily staying with his children who live nearby. The collapsed house was said to be part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security's Fishermen's Special Housing Project (New Construction) 2024 programme, and the implementing agency was the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store