TPS names school hall after Abdul Taib

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Taib signs the plaque to open the Tun Taib Hall. Also seen are Ragad (second right), Syed Ahmad (centre), Holmes (third left) and others. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi

Students showcase their skills in archery before (seated from left) Syed Ahmad, Taib, Ragad and others.

An exterior view of the Tun Taib Hall.

KUCHING: Tunku Putra School (TPS) now has Tun Taib Hall, a new school hall which is named after Yang Di-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

The new facility, completed at a cost of over RM6 million, is expected to strengthen TPS’ holistic approach to student learning by incorporating a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

At the opening, TPS chairman Datuk Syed Ahmad Alwee Aslree said the new school hall would enable students to take up sports – futsal, basketball, netball, handball and volleyball – within the school grounds rather than utilising external facilities, thereby saving travelling time.

“The Tun Taib Hall will also house an art dance studio where our students can develop their creativity through drama, traditional and modern dance and participate in physical workouts.

“It is hoped with this new hall, TPS will nurture many more talents and emerge as a school recognised for its sports achievements,” he said before Taib opened TPS’ Tun Taib Hall at Jalan Stadium in Petra Jaya yesterday. Taib’s wife Toh Puan Dato Sri Ragad Kurdi Taib was also present.

Syed disclosed the school planned to introduce tablets as a new learning tool to transform classroom learning into cutting-edge digital education.

He believed students could gain a lot of advantage by learning to deduce and extract relevant data, and not be overwhelmed by the enormity of such information.

“The school is also in the midst of implementing a management information system called Engaged, which will act as an integrated platform for handling student information, school planning and streamlining administration process.”

He said it had also decided to refine the international primary learning by adopting the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) that would enable children to focus on a combination of academic, personal and international learning through more structured practical and thematic studies.

“TPS is also very fortunate to have been chosen by the World Horseback Archery Federation as the first school centre for training in the Art of Traditional and Horseback Archery in Malaysia.”

In his opening speech, Taib noted the school was heading in the right direction to prepare children to succeed not just in academics and sports but also become better and competitive citizens to face this fast-paced world.

He said he could not help but have a feeling of elation whenever he visited the school given that its education system had been changing with greater consciousness of preparing students for the future.

Taib was pleased the school had received students of various races and backgrounds while their parents seemed quite happy with where their children were.

Meanwhile, principal of TPS Susan Holmes said the new hall could certainly be the pride of the school to enhance sporting and dramatic experience and further learning of students.

With this new facility in place, she hoped students would aspire to achieve sporting and dramatic excellence at not just school but also state and national level.