15/05/2025

THURSDAY | MAY 15, 2025

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The ‘ cikgu ’ who left a lasting lesson E ACH year on May 16, Teacher’s Day is marked by heartfelt celebrations – flowers, cards and touching tributes to honour educators. “ cikgu ” – not for any title he held but for the way he taught with sincerity. He once dreamed of studying at Sultan Idris Teachers’ Training College (SITC) in Tanjung Malim – a prestigious institution that produced many Malay educators and thinkers. He passed Standard Six and was offered a place. But as the only surviving son among seven siblings, financial hardship forced him to choose duty over dreams. He joined the army to support his family. COMMENT by Dr Zuraini Md Ali

supporting the math that is already there in play. Preschool teachers should be trained to notice and build on mathematical moments. Parents should be made aware that even everyday activities like cooking, tidying or playing with blocks can support early numeracy. The article mentioned the gap between children from different economic backgrounds in terms of language development. This same gap exists in mathematics. A child who has been encouraged to count, compare or build things at home may enter school with greater confidence. For others, preschool may be their first and only structured exposure to mathematical ideas. If we do not recognise the importance of informal mathematics in early childhood education, we risk allowing this gap to grow even wider later. Mathematics is not only for exams. It supports life skills such as budgeting, time management, data interpretation and logical thinking. These are essential for navigating adulthood, especially in a world that is becoming more digital and data-driven. As Malaysia moves towards finalising its Education Blueprint for 2026 to 2036, I hope early mathematics will be given the attention it deserves. Preschool is not just a time for learning letters or emotions. It is also when a child first begins to think like a mathematician. The more we understand the invisible curriculum of early mathematics, the better we can support every child’s journey into learning with confidence. Ana Bonell, a maternal health and extreme heat researcher at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine not involved in the report said it, “gives clear evidence of the growing exposure risk to extreme heat”. The findings could also apply to the elderly, another group who are more at risk during blisteringly hot periods. While researchers are increasingly documenting the many ways that extreme heat can threaten human health, there remain “many unknowns” about the physiological mechanisms to explain why this happens, Bonell said. A large 2024 study in Nature Medicine estimated that heatwaves increase the odds of having a complication during pregnancy by 1.25 times. Beyond wider efforts to fight climate change – which is largely caused by humans burning fossil fuels – experts advised local policies to help communities beat the heat. – AFP SCORCHING heatwaves fuelled by global warming are increasing the risk of dangerous complications during pregnancies across the world, a report warned on Wednesday. Being exposed to extreme heat while pregnant has previously been linked to a range of problems, including a higher risk of premature birth, stillbirth, birth defects and gestational diabetes. The report from the US-based research group Climate Central sought to measure how much more pregnant women have been exposed to excessive heat since 2020 – and to what extent climate change is to blame. In 222 out of the 247 countries and territories studied, “climate change at least doubled the average annual number of pregnancy heat-risk days experienced during the past five years”, the new report said. The biggest increases were in developing countries where access to healthcare is limited, such as in the Caribbean, Central and South America, the Pacific islands, Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The researchers only looked at the rise in potentially dangerous hot days and did not examine the extent to which pregnant women were actually affected by heat in the countries. COMMENT Pregnancy issues rising due to climate change

services to the public through education.” It has been 10 years since he passed. But every time I pass through Tanjung Malim, I think of him – of his unrealised dream and the legacy he left behind. To me, Teacher’s Day is

“My father may never have held a certificate or faced a class but he taught through kindness, sacrifice and wisdom. That, to me, is the essence of being an educator.

not only for those in classrooms. It is for anyone who brings light to others’ lives, with or without a title. I am reminded of a saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him): “The best of people are those who are most beneficial to others.” My father may never have held a certificate or faced a class but he taught through kindness, sacrifice and wisdom. That, to me, is the essence of being an educator. Happy Teacher’s Day to all who teach, guide and uplift, especially those like my father, Cikgu Ali,

For me, it is not just about those in schools or lecture halls. It is about someone once called “ cikgu ” (teacher), though he never stood at a blackboard or wore formal attire. That someone was my father – a former Malay Regiment soldier with a dream of becoming a teacher. I remember during a trip back to our hometown, my father and I were at the market when a neatly dressed man, about his age, greeted him warmly. “ Cikgu Ali! Lama tak jumpa… apa khabar ?” They hugged and laughed like old friends. I stood by, confused – my father was never a teacher. He had worked as a soldier, then as a driver and transporter of plantation workers. On the way home, I asked, “ Abah, kenapa kawan abah panggil abah ‘Cikgu’ ?” He was quiet for a moment. Then, staring out the window, he began to tell a story that changed my understanding of what it means to teach. Growing up in a poor village in Teluk Intan during the pre-independence years, my father had few resources but a deep love for learning. His friends often came over after school and he would patiently guide them through lessons. They began calling him I AM writing in response to the article titled ”Prioritising preschool education in Malaysia” published in theSun on May 5. The authors’ message about the importance of early childhood education is timely and well supported. They highlight how preschool builds emotional, social and language development, which are essential for a child’s growth. As an educator, I would like to add a perspective that often receives less attention. It is about how early education also lays the foundation for mathematical understanding, even when it is not recognised or labelled as such. In many preschool classrooms, mathematics is present but often invisible. Children do not sit at desks solving equations. Instead, they sing songs with numbers, build towers with blocks, pour water from one container to another or arrange toys in patterns. These activities are playful and natural, yet they contain important mathematical thinking. Children are exploring quantity, measurement, sequencing and spatial awareness without even knowing it. This is what some educators call the “invisible curriculum”of early mathematics. It is the part of learning that happens informally, often through play, conversation and exploration. However, because it does not always look like traditional mathematics, it can be overlooked by adults, including parents and sometimes even teachers. It is in these early moments that children begin to form their relationship with numbers, logic and problem solving. As a mathematics educator, I am glad to see the article bringing attention to the importance LETTERS letters@thesundaily.com

Yet, the name “ cikgu ” stayed with him. His friends never forgot the one who helped them when they were close to giving up. One of them – the man at the market – did go on to SITC and became a headmaster. But he still sees my father as his first teacher. I was deeply moved by his story and finally understood why my father was so insistent about education. Though he never stepped into a teacher training college, he instilled in us the values of a true educator – discipline, sincerity and a love for knowledge.

remembered not for titles but for the lives they touched. May Allah grant him a place in paradise among the righteous. Dr Zuraini Md Ali is an associate professor at the Department of Building Surveying, Faculty

Five of his eight children went to university. Three decades ago, when I became a lecturer, even though I was not a schoolteacher, he was proud. I once found an old school essay of mine that he had kept, in which I wrote: “Being a lecturer suits a woman. I can also give my

of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com Making mathematics ‘visible’ in early education

The invisible curriculum of early mathematics is the part of learning that happens informally, often through play, conversation and exploration. – SUNPIC

can become overwhelmed. This is when mathematics anxiety often starts. I have met many capable learners who lose confidence, not because they lack ability, but because they never had a chance to build mathematical thinking in the early years. This anxiety can be reduced or even prevented if early education supported mathematics as actively as it supports language. If we want to prevent this anxiety and build stronger mathematical skills across our population, we must start early – not with formal instruction but with recognising and

of early learning. The focus on emotional growth, language development and social interaction is essential. However, I also feel a need to highlight that early mathematical development should be part of that same conversation. In many cases, children are already doing mathematics through play but we do not always recognise it or support it intentionally. When these early mathematics experiences are not nurtured, children may face challenges later in school. As numbers become larger and concepts more abstract, students without early familiarity

Syed Azman Syed Ismail Postgraduate Student Faculty of Education Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia