PENANG, 11 March 2014 - “Praise to Allah, I'm proud to be a teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Lemoi and I do not regret being posted here,” said Noor Afidah Ahmad when asked how she felt about having been posted to a remote area to teach Orang Asli children.

Born on 17 November 1984 in Penang, Noor Afidah started her career as an English language teacher for Year 1, 5 and 6 at Sekolah Kebangsaan Lemoi (SKL), Cameron Highlands, in 2010. The trip to the school from Ringlet, Tanah Rata, takes about 4 hours.

Noor Afidah is the fifth of six siblings and she graduated with a Bachelor of Management in 2006 from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). She studied at Sekolah Kebangsaan Permatang Janggus before starting her secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sri Muda, and after that at a Matriculation College.                                         

"I had always wanted to be a teacher since my school days and thus I applied to pursue my degree in education but USM offered me a management course instead," said Noor Afidah.

She added that although she was a little disappointed initially, she accepted the offer. During her studies in USM, in the Management programme in particular, she had the opportunity to master the English language.

"I'm grateful for having been accepted into the course as the management subjects had helped me to improve my command of the English language," said Noor Afidah, admitting that her English was previously poor.

Upon graduation in USM, she worked with her sister and the following year Noor Afidah tried to apply for the programme Kursus Perguruan Lepasan Ijazah (KPLI or Teaching Course for Graduates) but was unsuccessful. Her aspiration to be a teacher was fulfilled when she was offered the programme in 2009 after having applied the second time.

Upon the completion of this programme, she was posted in SKL. There she needs to ride in a four-wheel drive to go to the school but she has never regretted being posted to such a remote place.

SKL has a total population of 106 students of which there is only one class comprising 18 students for each grade every year.

"The students need to have simplified learning methods and the small number helped me in giving them more attention," she said.

She added that the most memorable experience was when her students won the first place in the Story Telling Competition 2011 among schools attended by orang asli and the fourth place for Public Speaking Competition in 2012 in the Cameron Highlands district.

She confessed that it was hard to teach orang asli children but as time went by, it became a meaningful satisfaction when they started to transform and achieve the desired results.                                                                                  

“Serving in USM Consumer Club for 3 years had taught me to communicate with many people besides inculcating my patience with customers and this taught me to be patient when educating my students,” said Noor Afidah.

When asked about her choice if she is offered elsewhere, she added that she would like to serve in this school for the next 10 years. She loves her students and she would like to do more for them but as a daughter she has to think about her future and her family.

“I’m hesitant, of course, I want to spend another 10 years here, but if I am to be married one day, I have to start thinking about my family too,” said Noor Afidah.

“But for now I will work as usual and make a decision when the time comes,” she added.

She also advised students to take whatever courses offered as there is much more awaiting us in the future. She said that we should not be easily discouraged when we do not get what we wish for as, perhaps, it is probable that the offer could educate us to become more successful in other ways. - Text/Translation: Sharifah Darweena Syed Ahmad Amir Feisal/Photo: Yong Check Yoon