Gerawat Gala (Tadun Aran)
MIRI: The president of Rurum Kelabit Sarawak, Gerawat Gala reiterated the association’s commitment to assisting schools in the Kelabit Highlands to improve their national ranking and performance.
He said as part of the commitment, the association would give incentives next year to performing schools in addition to the annual allocation for educational excellence awards, which now is entering its tenth year.
“Incentives will be given to the performing schools next year. Thus, we would like to see the Kelabit community support the event in full force this year, since the majority of the Kelabits reside in Miri now,” he said.
Gerawat said this in an email to the Borneo Post yesterday in conjunction with the association’s two forthcoming educational based events on Saturday to be held at the Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club.
The celebration’s theme is: ‘Sustaining Educational Excellence and Resilience’.
Meanwhile, organsing chairman Marcus Raja said the two events are the 10th annual Educational Excellence Award ceremony for 2011 and an educational seminar for head teachers and senior assistants.
The educational seminar from 8am to 1pm is meant for the head teachers and senior assistants from five primary schools and one secondary school in the Kelabit Highlands.
The objectives are to guide the schools to set their targets and action plans to improve and also share and glean some best practices from each other.
The educational excellence award will be held from 6.30pm.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and chief executive officer of Pemandu, Senator Dato’Seri Idris Jala will officiate at the function.
“The Minister will address the members of the community during the dinner function. His presence certainly will be an excellent opportunity for the young people to be inspired,” said Marcus.
Two Kelabits, who have obtained their doctorate of philosophy, will be among those to be honoured at the function.
The two are Dr Bilcher Bala, an associate professor, and Dr Andrian Daud, a lecturer in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Bintulu.
Financial incentives will once again be given to those Kelabit children who excelled in public examinations – the UPSR, PMR, SPM and STPM for 2010.
To date the organising committee has received 47 names.
Those who meet the requirements or want further details, contact Margaret Bala at 016-8557390 or Gwendoline Raja at 019-8249096.
Tickets for the dinner function, priced at RM40 per person, are available from Adeth Ulun at 019-8157827 or Nelly Paul at 019-4863880.
So far 46 tables had been sold out.