May 26, 2011

Teachers and Parents Working Together in Bukit Batu

The recent haze and heat wave have been causing great concern and river water level is dropping.

In the past many rural primary boarding schools would request pupils to bring some water to school when they return from home on Mondays as the school water supply is not really adequate. One such school is the SK Bukit Batu run by the present Guru Besar Laurentius thomas who has been proactive to ask for parents to help install more water tanks for the boarders.

I am using some of his photos for my blog today....Congratulations to him and the parents who rally together to capture rainwater for their children. bukit Batu is about 3 hours from Limbang Town in the Fifth Division of Sarawak. Thanks to Ann Chin for making me realise even more that we in Sarawak are also having to save rain water in many different ways.

the primary school is populated by children from the surrounding longhouses situated along the Sg. Medamit which is a tributary of the larger and once formidable Limbang River.. When these school pupils complete their primary school they will attend Medamit Government Secondary School or some may even be sent to SMK Limbang or other premier schools according to their results. Needless to say not many of the them score 5A's because of so many adverse factors.

. The River Medamit is too polluted by logging and oil palm. Government piped water has not been able to reach Medamit and Bukit Batu. It is definitely a challenge for the people here to produce university graduates and to raise the income level. Hovever it may surprise many that there are several university graduates and many professionals from this area since 1960's and have made it to the Who's Who in a recent book by a Lawas historian.

Many of these professionals have tales of their barefoot childhood and youthful scrounging for five sen or ten sen in Limbang river at low tides..


Fathers get together to put up a strong wooden platform for the water tank -more captured  rain water for toilet and bathing from now on. You can see the pretty pink toilets which is so typical of rural Sarawak primary school scene.


Mothers also do their share with great enthusiasm.



Parents and teachers meet to discuss their plans for the gotong royong or cooperative activity.

Here mothers with their rattan baskets roll the tank to be installed. Now they do not have to worry about sending water in jerry cans or orange bottles for their children for teeth brushing and drinking(boiled).

Little children may sometimes be so thirsty that they drink the polluted water if available and they all get stomach upset thus causing them to lose many hours of studying time.

Teachers are surrogate parents and change agents amongst other roles. And I am sure the teachers in this school are playing more than their expected roles. The local community places its hopes in their children and schools like this. A pro active Head Teacher is a ray of hope! And teachers bring sunshine to this little rain forest opening.. The future of these children is definitely in the hands of these respsonsible adults.

12 comments:

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

great job. Many hands and willing heart can do great things.

In my school here, our parents volunteer a lot. One is on Thursday, they come and have a sausage sizzle. I don't eat sausages, so I don't buy them.

Ensurai said...

Hi Ann

You have inspired this post. I hope your school parents can make a note of these parents in the island of Borneo...Yes willing hands and big hearts can bring about miracles.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

CY,

I will be happy if you do a post of me. The news paper article will be out next Thursday.

I have been away since 1975, and not many people know me. Now that some of my Kai Chung students found me on FB, may be other students will like to find me too.

Here's my CV,

Methodist pri school: 1961-1966, P1 - P6
Methodist Sec school: 1967-1973 F1 - Upper 6

Short teaching Stints: Kai Chung School, Binatang, Kuching High School and SMK Binatang.

Ensurai said...

I have prepared a posting already and your CV would be added...will be out on Saturday...thanks.
Great!! I am sure many people would be only too happy to find you..especially those on Facebook!!

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Please write this as an intro, in Ann's own words. Ann was googling Billy Abit when she came to Sarawakiana's post on the boys hostel of Methodist school. The more posts she read, the more intrigue she was. She was convinced she knew who the blogger was. But this blogger would not reveal her ID for a long time, until she read the post of the blogger's dad's accident.So she wrote: CY, I think I know who you are, don't let me stew in my own juice.
Finally, the blogger revealed herself. It was such a happy day, because the blogger was her hero in school.
The rest is history.

Ensurai said...

Hi...Ann...got this written into my post for tomo...I hope you don't mind I am going to put up your "complete" family photo too...

wenn said...

that's a great event!

Ensurai said...

These rural parents do not get into the mainline news or TV.

I am glad they have intalled the water tank on their own. It is very timely..but I can also say that it could have been done earlier too. The water in the river is so polluted now.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

heheh,I like that fam photo. I looked much better then. LOL

I was in Form 4, just before my bro Charles Chok Kwong went to NZ. He is now a solicitor in Australia.

For the youngest twin brother, Dr Henry Chan, you may have cross path with his work with the Punans.

My Ah Kung, people took him to be a master Kung Fu master.

Ensurai said...

Yes..Ann. That's a lovely family photo to be treasured by generations of family members. You looked too young to be in Form Four. Your grandpa looked every inch a Shaolin master....I hope one day to meet Dr. H. Chan

Unknown said...

oakley, valentino shoes, ray ban, insanity workout, instyler, hollister, soccer shoes, nike air max, bottega veneta, converse, nike roshe, beats by dre, ralph lauren, nike trainers, louboutin, new balance, converse outlet, hollister, longchamp, north face outlet, soccer jerseys, birkin bag, nike air max, lululemon, asics running shoes, lancel, ghd, mcm handbags, chi flat iron, abercrombie and fitch, hollister, mont blanc, herve leger, nfl jerseys, iphone cases, reebok shoes, vans, nike huarache, baseball bats, mac cosmetics, wedding dresses, gucci, ferragamo shoes, p90x workout, vans shoes, north face outlet, timberland boots, celine handbags, babyliss, jimmy choo shoes

Unknown said...

replica watches, jordan shoes, longchamp outlet, air jordan pas cher, cheap oakley sunglasses, christian louboutin outlet, longchamp pas cher, longchamp outlet, sac longchamp, tiffany and co, ray ban sunglasses, louis vuitton, nike free, tiffany jewelry, nike air max, polo ralph lauren outlet, ray ban sunglasses, ugg boots, ray ban sunglasses, chanel handbags, louis vuitton, oakley sunglasses, louboutin outlet, louboutin, louboutin pas cher, prada handbags, prada outlet, kate spade outlet, longchamp, louis vuitton, uggs on sale, michael kors, nike outlet, louboutin shoes, nike air max, gucci outlet, nike roshe run, air max, nike free, oakley sunglasses, ugg boots, ralph lauren pas cher, replica watches, louis vuitton outlet, louis vuitton outlet, polo ralph lauren outlet, burberry, tory burch outlet

Soh Mien on First Day of Lunar New Year

 Today 10.2.2024 is the first day of the New Lunar Year of the Dragon. Yes I have cooked the chicken and made the soh mien. Happy New Year!!...