02/12/2025

TUESDAY | DEC 2, 2025

12

EDUCATION NEWS

Winners in Commonwealth essay competition

Ű BY DHARSHINI GANESON

THE Royal Commonwealth Society, in the UK, honoured Malaysians Chan Zi Yu, aged 10 and 16-year- old Ferdiana Osmund with gold awards at the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2025. As the world’s oldest international writing competition, it is open to nationals and residents of all Commonwealth countries and territories. According to the organising committee of the competition, 2025 was a record-breaking year, attracting 53,434 entries from across 56 member countries of the commonwealth. The gold award is top-tier recognition within the competition. Chan, who is currently enrolled at SJKC Chen Moh in Petaling Jaya, won the award with her entry titled “The Magical Door to Sanrio Land” in the junior category of the competition, under 14 years of age. She chose to write on the topic of embarking on a very special journey, where a secret door is discovered and that takes the writer into her favourite book. An excerpt from her essay proved unique and imaginative, “I was casually eating in the dining room, then when I went back to my room to read my favourite book, ‘The Sanrio Land’, I saw something strange. As I was flipping the pages, when I reached page 117, I saw a weird sentence that said, “Hey! Touch this and you can teleport to Sanrio Land!”. I always read this book, and I never saw Cinnamoroll say this before. I have exactly read this book 18 times and never seen this sentence. So, I touched the small tree in the picture, and in the blink of any eye, WHOOSH! I teleported to the exact tree I had touched in the book. “I was greeted by Cinnamoroll, Kuromi,Pompompurin,Badtz Maru, and Hello Kitty. “I was so stunned, speechless, and surprised. Even though I was education, psychology and public health to urgently address the rising tide of emotional distress among Malaysian students at an academic forum held recently at Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) Kuala Lumpur campus. The consensus among panellists was clear, mental health is no longer a peripheral issue but a critical survival skill requiring a multi-sectoral and systemic overhaul of the current education ecosystem. The forum was attended by the current chairman of TAR UMT’s board of governors and alumni Council, Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, President of TAR UMT, Prof Dato’ Indera Dr Lee Sze Wei, school counsellors and educators. The forum began with a compelling keynote address delivered by Dr Lee who stressed that mental health and emotional resilience in schools are ‘very timely and very hot topics’ that concern not just schools, but society as a whole. Dr Lee also issued a strong call to action, urging all stakeholders,

Banking & Finance The proposed framework expands the definition of school safety from a physical focus to psychological, social, and emotional dimensions. The proposed phased implementation plan includes a pilot test in 200 schools nationwide and the training of 10,000 teachers starting in 2026. She also proposed establishing a emphasising that prevention is always better than solving the problem after it escalates. Associate Professor Datuk Dr Monna Ong Siew Siew, who is the lead researcher of the ‘Sekolah Selamat 2.0’ collaboration, presented the initiative which seeks to strengthen educational safety through new elements such as psychological safety, mental well-being, digital literacy and systematic, evidence-based intervention. Dr Monna cited alarming statistics, including a 17.7% rise in recorded physical bullying cases from 2023 to 2024 and a 60% increase in students reporting symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-pandemic stress. o Malaysians show talent and creativity in crafting original stories shocked, I also greeted them and gave them a big hug. “I was in Sanrio Land.” Sherry Wong, Chan’s mother said: “From a young age, Zi Yu has shown a remarkable passion for learning English independently. She was especially inspired and encouraged by her pre-school teacher, whose care and attention helped nurture her love for the language. “Through a report, we learnt that Zi Yu is a natural interpersonal learner, thriving in environments that encourage connection and engagement. Her dedication to improvement is evident in her achievements. She attended Cambridge English classes and was recognised for her achievements in the exams,” she added. Her mother also added that Zi Yu chose one of her favourite authors as Geronimo Stilton and when asked why she chose that particular author, her answer was, “inside the book is quite interesting, which no other book has it, with colourful words and pictures.” Chan’s final ambition is to be recognised as an author of her own books. Apart from books, she also has a love for badminton and volleyball, which she plays regularly.

Being a young winner has encouraged Chan to continue her journey towards achieving her ambition to be an author.

Ferdiana used local folklore to create her original story related to Kadazandusun culture.

herself as a sacrifice to restore life to earth. After her body was laid to rest, the first rice crop grew from her remains, providing sustenance to the local community. Till today, her sacrifice is celebrated annually through the Kaamatan festival celebrated every May.

Kadazandusun culture. The essay chronicled the original story of Huminodun, who according to folklore, willingly sacrificed herself for the well-being of the Dusun community during a severe drought and failing crops. Huminodun, according to legend is the daughter of the creator deity Kinoingan, who voluntarily offered

Another student from Sabah, Ferdiana, 16 yrs, won a Gold award in the senior category and is currently enrolled in her first year, pursuing automative technology at Keningau Vocational College. Her essay titled, “Huminodun: the spirit of sacrifice in Sabah’s sacred soil”, was centred on the ledgendary figure in Sabah’s National Mental Health and School Crisis Intervention Council. The forum then proceeded with a dynamic panel discussion featuring experts from diverse fields, each providing practical and systemic perspectives. Dr Nazrul Azizi, current president of Young Minds Malaysia highlighted the emotional pressures faced by the current ‘hyperconnected’ generation of students. He argued that schools may be underestimating the need for emotional literacy and responsible gadget use. Imatul Nor Hazizan, serving as the psychology officer at the Titiwangsa Health Office, identified the biggest gap in the current school-to-health referral pathway as the lack of a structured system for the early detection of emotional distress, especially since students often exhibit ‘quiet symptoms’ such as withdrawal, sleep deprivation, or somatic complaints (physical pain) rather than obvious behavioural issues. Dr Chuah Hooi Mei, the Programme Leader of FSSH, TAR UMT focused on the challenges faced by parents as primary caregivers and

Psychological safety in schools ‘SEKOLAH Selamat 2.0’ brought together leading experts in including management, teaching staff, parents, families and the government to collaborate,

(from left) Assoc Prof Dr Lim Chia Yien, the forum’s moderator, with all the panellists, Prof Dr Ananda Kumar, Dr Nazrul, Imatul, Dr Chuah, Tan and Wong.

Selamat 2.0 as realistic. She urged all adults to ‘stop everything, drop everything, and listen’ when a student is willing to speak, and to change their opening question from “What’s wrong with you?” to the more empathetic “What happened to you?”. The forum concluded on a constructive note, with shared aspirations that the ‘Sekolah Selamat’ 2.0 proposal will continue to gain traction and contribute to building a school environment where psychological safety and student well being are prioritised.

noted that a major barrier is the lack of a one-stop online platform for them to find reliable help and information. Principal of SMJK Chong Hwa KL, Tan Siew Choo shared that the biggest operational barriers are the vast amount of administrative tasks and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that overburden teachers, leaving them with insufficient time and knowledge to address students’ mental health. Wong Su Zane, vice-president of Life Line Association Malaysia, endorsed the multi-level crisis intervention model of Sekolah

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