Smart Reader Worldwide to award 122 outstanding franchisees this year

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Ong (centre), with Wang on his left and Smart Reader Worldwide’s international franchisees during a press conference.

Ong (centre), with Wang on his left and Smart Reader Worldwide’s international franchisees during a press conference.

KUCHING: The Smart Reader Worldwide will confer its recognition on 122 franchisees this year; namely those who have been successfully operating its Smart Reader Kids child enrichment centres nationwide.

“They will be awarded through the Radiant Diamond, Diamond, Platinum and Gold categories this year during the upcoming event to be themed ‘Crystal Nite’.

“We will also acknowledge a number of individuals for the ‘Franchisee of the Year’ and ‘New Impressive and Emerging Franchisee of the Year’ awards,” it said in a press statement yesterday.

Smart Reader Worldwide commenced its business operations in 1998, with the first centre in Subang in 1999. Co-founders, chief executive officer Dato’ Sri Dr Richard Ong and group executive director Datin Sri Dato’ Dr KH Wang, have radically changed the landscape of early childhood education, care and development in Malaysia.

“The ‘Smart Reader Creative Teaching Methodology’ — founded by Wang — makes lessons fun and exciting for children. Children in the programme are not only interested about learning, as they also display their best talents without fear during performances before large crowds,” the group said.

In 2005, Smart Reader Kids was endorsed by The Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) as the largest chain of child enrichment centres in the country with 125 centres. In 2012, MBOR re-endorsed the record with 308 centres nationwide. Today at 350 centres across the country, the record still stands unbeaten.

The group also holds numerous accolades for its achievements in education and corporate social responsibility (CSR) such as the consecutive wins of Reader’s Digest’s ‘Trusted Brand Award for Children’s Education Centre Category’ (2011 to 2013); the ‘World Leader in Education Award’ conferred on Ong during BIZZ Arabic 2015 in Muscat, Oman; and the ‘Business Management Award for CSR’ during the Global Business Corporation 2012 in Lima, Peru.

In addition, Smart Reader Worldwide had been aggressively going ahead with overseas expansion. It had prioritised extensive development plans in the Middle East to make the group the premier early childhood education provider in the region.

Last year, the first Smart Reader Kids centre was established in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“The official opening of the second centre in the city of Al Ain in the UAE is set to take place soon. Dubai is next in line, while Oman and Qatar are likely to follow suit in the near future.

“Plans are also underway to set up the first Smart Reader Kids centre on the African continent, namely in Nigeria; and also Turkey in Middle Asia.

“While the Middle East is gearing to be the next regional hub of early childhood education for Smart Reader Worldwide, a language and enrichment centre has already been established in Melbourne, Australia while in Hong Kong, plans are underway to launch the centre in the near future.

“Moreover, interested entrepreneurs are also keen on extending the Smart Reader Kids concept to Medan, Indonesia,” the group said.

Besides the classic Smart Reader Kids and the Smart Reader Kids programmes, the group is offering the Smart Reader Kids Islamic, Smart Reader Kids Mandarin Medium and Smart Reader Kids Intensive English programmes.

Nevertheless, Smart Reader Worldwide is also committed in responding to the needs of the community in other aspects.

The group contributed RM5,000 to the ‘Nepal Earthquake Children’s Appeal’ fund through Mercy Malaysia. Closer to home, it also contributed 34 bags of rice to the Kinabalu Mountain Guides Association to help ease the burden of those affected by the tragic earthquake.

More recently, it presented RM2,000 to the Ti-Ratana Welfare Society, which houses underprivileged children in their home. The cheque was presented in conjunction with the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival celebrations last month.

“We need a teaching approach that moves along with a changing and challenging world. We have to put in extraordinary effort to expand young minds to bring out their best potential,” Wan said in her remarks, adding in her philosophy, ‘Bring the world to the children as you guide them around the globe.’