By K.M. LEW
ARE you a fresh graduate who wants an opportunity to make an impact in a child’s life? You may be able to do so once the Teach For Malaysia programme is introduced.
The programme was announced under the 10th Malaysia Plan tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in June.
Similar to the Teach for America initiative, the programme will attempt to attract the best and brightest Malaysian graduates to teach for two years at underperforming or rural schools.
A group of local social entrepreneurs, who declined to be named, said the Teach for Malaysia vision is “for all children in Malaysia to have the opportunity to attain an excellent education”.
“We are enlisting Malaysia’s most outstanding youth in our mission to end education inequity.
“Teach For Malaysia participants would serve for a minimum of two years in challenging schools and commit to transforming the educational outcomes of less privileged school children through significantly improving their achievements and aspirations,” they said.
Eventually the programme’s alumni would form an influential network of leaders, committed in their pursuit of expanding educational opportunities from within and outside the (education) sector.
Currently in the early stages of development, Teach For Malaysia aims to place its first cohort in challenging classrooms at the start of the school term in 2012.
On what is meant by challenging schools, the group declined to reveal further details until the programme is launched.
Malaysia will be the first Asean country and 16th in the world to have such a programme once it kicks off.
Teach First chief executive officer and founder Brett Wigdortz said a Teach programme is already in 15 other countries including India, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom (UK).
“Teach First is a charity organisation that recruits exceptional graduates from all disciplines who want to make an impact in school classrooms in challenging circumstances and who have a desire to address the inequalities in education in the long term.
“We do not work alone as our success is a result of the quality of our partnerships with a range of organisations, including schools, teaching unions, universities and businesses,” he said.
The Teach First website states that it “harnesses the energy, enthusiasm and drive of exceptional graduates to provide leadership, motivation and, above all, inspirational teaching in schools in challenging circumstances across England”.
Since its foundation in 2002, Teach First has placed over 2,520 teachers in such schools.
“Many children are not getting the opportunities for education.
“In one London school I visited, the teacher said he was providing a baby-sitting service while another felt his job was to keep his students out of prison until they were 16,” Wigdortz said when sharing his experiences about Teach First and Teach For All in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week.
“But not everyone makes good teachers, so graduates who are interested in this programme have to undergo a rigorous selection process before they are placed and supported in a school environment with challenging circumstances.
“Teach First is now the third largest recruiter in the UK and there were 7,000 applications for 800 spots this year,” he said.
The Teach First website states that of these, over 90% stay for a minimum of two years, over 50% stay longer and 67% of those placed since 2003 remain actively engaged with addressing educational disadvantage through Teach First’s ambassador community.
Teach For All growth strategy and development managing director for Middle East and Asia Reem Marto said it assists social entrepreneurs around the world who are inspired by the Teach For America and Teach First model and want to adapt it in their own countries.
“The programme would be tailored to suit each country,” she added.
ARE you a fresh graduate who wants an opportunity to make an impact in a child’s life? You may be able to do so once the Teach For Malaysia programme is introduced.
The programme was announced under the 10th Malaysia Plan tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in June.
Similar to the Teach for America initiative, the programme will attempt to attract the best and brightest Malaysian graduates to teach for two years at underperforming or rural schools.
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| Marto says social entrepreneurs who want to start the programme in their respective countries can get help. |
“We are enlisting Malaysia’s most outstanding youth in our mission to end education inequity.
“Teach For Malaysia participants would serve for a minimum of two years in challenging schools and commit to transforming the educational outcomes of less privileged school children through significantly improving their achievements and aspirations,” they said.
Eventually the programme’s alumni would form an influential network of leaders, committed in their pursuit of expanding educational opportunities from within and outside the (education) sector.
Currently in the early stages of development, Teach For Malaysia aims to place its first cohort in challenging classrooms at the start of the school term in 2012.
On what is meant by challenging schools, the group declined to reveal further details until the programme is launched.
Malaysia will be the first Asean country and 16th in the world to have such a programme once it kicks off.
Teach First chief executive officer and founder Brett Wigdortz said a Teach programme is already in 15 other countries including India, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom (UK).
“Teach First is a charity organisation that recruits exceptional graduates from all disciplines who want to make an impact in school classrooms in challenging circumstances and who have a desire to address the inequalities in education in the long term.
“We do not work alone as our success is a result of the quality of our partnerships with a range of organisations, including schools, teaching unions, universities and businesses,” he said.
 |
| Wigdortz says the programme needs exceptional graduates from all disciplines who want to make an impact |
Since its foundation in 2002, Teach First has placed over 2,520 teachers in such schools.
“Many children are not getting the opportunities for education.
“In one London school I visited, the teacher said he was providing a baby-sitting service while another felt his job was to keep his students out of prison until they were 16,” Wigdortz said when sharing his experiences about Teach First and Teach For All in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week.
“But not everyone makes good teachers, so graduates who are interested in this programme have to undergo a rigorous selection process before they are placed and supported in a school environment with challenging circumstances.
“Teach First is now the third largest recruiter in the UK and there were 7,000 applications for 800 spots this year,” he said.
The Teach First website states that of these, over 90% stay for a minimum of two years, over 50% stay longer and 67% of those placed since 2003 remain actively engaged with addressing educational disadvantage through Teach First’s ambassador community.
Teach For All growth strategy and development managing director for Middle East and Asia Reem Marto said it assists social entrepreneurs around the world who are inspired by the Teach For America and Teach First model and want to adapt it in their own countries.
“The programme would be tailored to suit each country,” she added.
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