By Mu Vitet
KOTA KINABALU: A total of 51 schools across 14 districts in Sabah are now part of the rural focus English for all (REAL) programme since its inception in 2016.
“More than 10,000 students have benefitted from this initiative, which has received about RM1 million in funding for the purchase of teaching materials,” said Tulip Noorazyze, Chair of Project REAL under the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) Pearl.
She said the programme includes inter-school and inter-district competitions, and teacher training workshops.
“Over the past nine years, we’ve seen significant improvements in students’ English examination results and overall proficiency. This progress is also reflected in the annual poem writing, speech, and storytelling competitions,” she added.
The club also organises annual teacher training workshops, conducted by professional English language trainers, to introduce creative and engaging methods for teaching English in rural schools.
She said the club will continue its efforts to expand the programme to as many rural schools as possible.
This year, the initiative was launched in 12 primary schools across Pitas, Papar, and Beaufort, in collaboration with the Sabah State Education Department.
The schools in Pitas are SK Rosob, SK Bangkau-Bangkau, and SK Bawing.
In Papar, the schools involved are SK Pekan Papar, SJKC Tung Shan, SK Lingan, and SK Ulu Lumagar.
The participating schools in Beaufort are SK Padas Damit, SK Kota Klias, SK Biah Batu 65, SK Linungkuan, and SK Lembah Poring.
The launch was officiated by Senior Assistant Director of the Language Unit at the Sabah Education Department, Nancy @ Aminah Idrus.
Also present were RCKK Pearl President Chendramata Sinteh, Elder Larry and Sister Hathaway from Latter-day Saints (LDS) Charities, who sponsored the programme in the 12 schools.
Project REAL aims to bridge the English proficiency gap between rural and urban students. Each school receives between 400 and 600 English storybooks, bilingual dictionaries for all students, smart TVs or LCD projectors, bookshelves, floor mats, and stools donated by the club.
As part of the project’s requirements, each headmaster or headmistress and the English language panel must draw up five action plans to enhance English proficiency in their schools.
The initiative aligns with the Education Department’s high immersive programme.
