Sunday April 29, 2012
Thankful to Takaful
By DURIE RAINER FONG
educate@thestar.com.my
Contributions by an Islamic insurance firm has enabled students of some schools in Sabah to improve their grasp of the English language.
EVER since he started reading The Star, Form Three student Richie Ronaldo Jibon has found it easier to understand the news.
The SMK Bandaraya, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, student said that the paper is interesting with its stories and pictures.
“This has certainly helped me enjoy reading an English newspaper. I have improved my command of the language at the same time,” said the 15-year-old.
This school was able to enjoy The Star, thanks to a sponsorship of RM15,000 by Takaful Ikhlas. The sponsorship is under the NiE programme.
Besides SMK Bandaraya, 14 other schools in Sabah also received copies of The Star for 10 days.
Takaful Ikhlas executive vice president Wan Mohd Fadzlullah Wan Abdullah presented a mock cheque to The Star’s senior writer Ruben Sario at a ceremony in SMK Bandaraya.
The sponsorship was also held in conjunction with the Minggu Saham Amanah Malaysia (Malaysian Unit Trust Week) held here.
Wan Mohd Fadzlullah (in green shirt) and Rozi (centre) holding the mock cheque while teachers and students cheer on. Shelmi Sam, 15, liked the paper’s outlook and content, saying it has helped her tremendously with the English vocabulary despite having just read The Star for about a week.
“I can spell better in English now,” she said, adding that the paper is also not hard on the eyes due to its colour photographs.
The school’s teacher in charge of NiE, Dyna Nurliyana, said the newspaper has improved English proficiency among her students as well as expanded their general knowledge.
“Many of the students here come from poor families and they have little or no opportunity at all to read the newspapers.
“Reading The Star is one way for them to know what’s happening in the peninsula. Besides that, the language used in the paper is more user-friendly,” she said.
Wan Mohd Fadzlullah said the company hoped to be actively involved in shaping an “enlightened” community. It also encouraged reading, especially in English, among children.
“Reading is considered food for the soul. Students should take up the habit of reading textbooks, newspapers, magazines and pieces by famous writers,” he said.
He added that quality reading material is easier to obtain these days, especially through the Internet. To inculcate the reading habit, he said that private companies should sponsor newspapers for students.
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