Sunday 14 January 2018

Elite boarding schools, now and back then

Visited my cousin at his school yesterday.

He enrolled at the boarding school in Putrajaya the previous week.


It's one of those schools for high achievers.

I attended a similar school in Seremban many years ago.

I didn't do very well in school but was better after that in college.

My cousin was still adapting to the environment and the orientation week was still ongoing.

He's learning to be independent and taking care of himself.

Learning how to wash his own clothes, making his own bed and such things. Those used to be taken cared for him by his guardians.

It's a good learning process.

Very much like I used to go through when I went to the boarding school at Form One.

However, the facilities at my cousin's school are very much better.

The students have washing machines, dryers, ironing equipment etc.

The school area also looked spacious and the dormitories are very well maintained.

I didn't check the classrooms and other study facilities but I guess they are of the same good standards.

My school back then was more spartan.

Life was tough for me those five years I was there.

However, my school had been relocated to a new place and provided better accommodations.

My former schoolmates told me that it's now as good as the other elite schools such as the one attended by my cousin.

I never visit my school after the relocation.

Yesterday, I also noticed that parents visiting their children looked quite well off.

Their cars are mostly Honda and Toyota.

There were also some Mercedes.

Well, I was driving my dad's Proton.

Back then during my schooldays, parents hardly visit their children in boarding school.

Most of the parents were not people with money and stay far away from the school.

Quite a number of them were from rural areas.

Even my parents actually only visited me just once during my five years there. No kidding.

But I'm okay with it because I know that they were busy.

Yesterday, the visiting parents and their kids were mostly having a picnic.

Most were having pizza.

I really think they are mostly quite well off.

Middle class, probably.

Well, they do seemed better than us from back then.

All in all, from the way I see those parents and their kids, things are quite good for them.

At least better than my time at school.

Okay, that's all for this weekend.

Need to clean up my room now.

Cheers.

43 comments:

  1. Ibu bapa meteka tampak mewah sebab bermula dengan zaman Tun..

    Anak² mereka sekarang bermula di era najib, era berhutang..

    Kalau najib kekal, mereka akan keluar nanti dengan era bayar hutang..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. its not Tun Mahathir time , please , its much earlier the schools were provided . Tun Mahathir time is the starting of the current rot.....

      Delete
    2. Awak faham BM tak?

      Saya bukan cerita tentang sejarah "boarding school"

      Delete
    3. Kluangman.awak ni org Melayu ke orang cina?kenapa pulak berhutang dikaitkan dengan Najib atau Mahathir?keputusan samada nak berhutang atau tak adalah keputusan individu.
      Since we are in the topic of education,you probably mean PTPTN.If you were to compare the cost of education during my time(that was in the early 80s) and now is like comparing apples and oranges.
      In the early 80s and prior to that education was an elitist.Only the cream of the cream managed to go to universities.The number of university students were small.
      When my wife joined ITM in 1982 everthing was paid for.The fees she had to pay was so small.Accomodation and food were provided free of charge.
      Do you think with 200 over thousand students at UiTM alone the government can afford to pay for everything.
      Bila cakap org Melayu bermentaliti subsidi kau nak marah.Tak nak berhutang simpanlah duit sejak anak kau baru lahir lagi.Tak perlulah ambik PTPTN.
      Prof Kangkung

      Delete
  2. Boarding school nowadays no longer admits predominantly rural or small towns children. Under the pretex of meritocracy, children of middle class & upper class urbanites made the cut. Meanwhile in rural Msia we still hear/read about cases children having to drop out because the family is poor. This is the point Dr Muhammad Khalid was trying to make.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The decline of our education system is going to ruin Malaysia in the future.

      New mentality = get rich quick now.

      Why else become a minister?

      Delete
    2. I am not sure the boarding schools now are there for the same reason it were built in the first place with all the fancy cars and all. I am sure a lot of rural kids are smart too.

      Delete
    3. I agree that boarding schools now have become what Eton and Rugby is in England; we now have a breed of the "Old Boys" and "Old Girls" who network after they graduate and become influential.

      I don't think very many underprivileged students could attend boarding schools like in the old days; the entrance qualification favours the privileged ones.

      Delete
    4. Same in korea, in the name of meritocracy, lots of filthy rich korea kid made it to the elite school

      They have all the resources available

      That’s what meritocracy after all, you made it or you don’t, it’s very binary

      Delete
    5. To Snuze,

      I would like to share my experience with you on MRSM since all my children are the products of MRSM. In fact I used to work in MRSM as an administrator before I became an academician more than 25 years ago.
      MRSM do take into consideration tha balance between affirmative action and meritocracy.
      Yes, due to the succes of MRSM, so many people including those from middle and upper class would want to enrol their children into MRSM. In fact MRSM has one of the best alumni group through ANSARA.
      Naturally, those middle and upper class parents have a lot of 'cables' that they can pull. Those underprivileged children have no cables to pull.
      If MRSM to strictly admit students based on affirmative action policy it would be unfair to the upper and middle class children. The proposal to create paid MRSM (MRSM berbayar) was shot down because it was politicized by certain quarters.
      To balance things up MRSM has decided a few MRSM campuses as MRSM Bitara ( Bijak Tiada Tara @Intelligent Par Excellence). Admission to MRSM Bitara is purely based on academics.
      Other MRSM still admit students based on their parents socio economic standings.

      Prof Kangkung

      Delete
  3. I was in a boarding school too for the last 2 yrs of high school. Hated it but undeniably it was a springboard for me & I made friends for life. As you said, my parents never visited me, in those days, it was too far & too expensive. I was from a small town, visiting some of my friends kampungs after Spm was eye opening - my 1st experience having to bathe in Sg Pahang & using sampan for transport!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dumbos will claim all the above advancements are the achievements of kepala bapok MO1...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kepala bapok MO1 has pushed education in Malaysia BACKWARDS.

      Delete
    2. Anon 1608.
      You are the biggest dumbo.
      Prof Kangkung

      Delete
    3. Pros Kangkang,

      Perhaps you should stick to spreading your legs, not your mouth.

      Nothing worthwhile ever comes out of it.



      Prof Sawi

      Delete
  5. spartan life but georgian hostelite was fun. 300 elite Spartan bodyguards along with 7000 King Leonidas's army (Greek) defended Thermopylae (west coast of present Turkey) to the last man against the invading Persians under King Xerxes in 480BC

    ReplyDelete
  6. As usual, people in the opposition love politicising everything even this observation by Annie. I think the point is the country has developed since independence under BN and under Dr M. It has also continued to develop as well under Najib. Sure there are things where the country needs to improve but it has developed. So people should just be objective and admit this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your developed benchmark??? south korea - so far ahead of us & thailand - catching up soon & when i complained about above those dumbos said migrate there sigh
      And dumbos are super rich recently saw one driving a bentley adoi

      Delete
    2. The point is, anon 17:17, education in msia is no longer the great leveller it once was. In the past we are proud of producing professionals, e.g.engineers, doctors, etc, now we are proud of uber drivers & graduate turns nasi lemak sellers or part time maid. That's progress to u?

      Delete
    3. Yes indeed anon 1717

      Prof Kangkung

      Delete
    4. Anonymous14 January 2018 at 20:29

      We are now proud to produce thieves and criminals. With the brainwashing happening in universities and the survey saying that 30% of students approve of corruption, you can see the path we are on.

      Delete
    5. "...and the survey saying that 30% of students approve of corruption."

      Yes.....

      This is the most worrying thing.

      Usually the uni students are the most VOCAL and have ideals.

      If at a young age they are already corrupted, then once they are adults they will take the attitude into workplace.

      Malaysia will become land of Kabel & Kroni.





      Delete
  7. Middle class cant compared to elites, now dumbos are the elites right!!! Dumbos serving people can be so super rich elites meh???

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think you’re referring to Alam Shah School Putrajaya. The all boys school. Like MCKK. Highly modern and very well equipped school. And beautiful to boot. Like TKC, the school’s old site was in Cheras. The old site has been changed and renamed to Sekolah Sains Sultan Alam Shah.

    I used to perform Friday prayer at the school’s mosque when I was based in Putrajaya and sometimes took time checking out the surrounding. I didn’t go to their dormitories though. It’s no-go area.

    By the way, coming this January 15, feeder bus in Putrajaya will no longer accept coins. They will be using card system. You need to purchase some kinda top-up card if you want to board feeder bus within Putrajaya. No more coins.

    Before this if you’re only left with coins in your pocket, you can still have a ride around Putrajaya. Now you need to purchase the card and the card will be kinda wasted if you rarely used the bus. I think Putrajaya people will going to love Ku Nan even more after this.

    ReplyDelete
  9. the elite spartan empress was much your senior. Pity nothing to pickle her, clitoris (nothing to shout about) was badly ravaged by horny bugis dick, ovum not available (age factor) for cryopreservation, genes for minang, asli, tonggek, dwarfness linked to plumpness, birkinness, butox, king control detected. new school research, putrajaya

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Annie, pls block these kinds of vulgar comments. This retarded commentator has his otak at kepala lutut and the only thing that fills his kepala lutut brains are sex, sex, sex

      Delete
    2. what the fuck! kepala lutut kepala bapak hang

      Delete
  10. Annie,

    //Learning how to wash his own clothes, making his own bed and such things.//

    Aaahhh!!

    Those were the days :)

    Wait 'til he needs to learn how to cook.

    Gladiator

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous @ 14 January 2018 at 14:33,

    //Under the pretex of meritocracy, children of middle class & upper class urbanites made the cut//

    Actually, I suspect that children from rural areas simply do not have the same opportunities to education as middle-class and upper class kids.

    Teachers in rural areas may not be as motivated to put in the same effort as urban teachers.

    Students in rural areas may have other more pressing problems like poverty, helping their parents in the kebun or pasar malam stall, etc etc.

    Then there is the issue of school facilities in rural areas. I doubt if those facilities could be as good as urban schools.

    Gladiator

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After 60 years of independence, yes these problems still exist in the rural area in addition to that the socio problem..porno , drugs ketum etc

      Delete
  12. Hye annie,

    Will this elite students can settle to further their studies in non-elite universities later?

    How much cost to maintain this students to make them perform in their academic?

    Will there be a status quo and meritocracy compared to Kebangsaan school in treating this elite students when it comes to scholarship?

    Coz dont want another RR in this country. Waste of public funds.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous@ 14 January 2018 at 17:17,

    //As usual, people in the opposition love politicising everything even this observation by Annie//

    Eeeerrr... this is a socio-politico blog.

    //I think the point is the country has developed since independence under BN and under Dr M.//

    Actually, I disagree.

    The system after Independence was inherited from the British and it was a world-class system then.

    From what I can tell, about the mid-1970s onwards, it started to change and began its downward slide.

    //It has also continued to develop as well under Najib.//

    You can't be serious!!

    Have you looked at recent textbooks for, say, science or maths, and compared them to textbooks from the 1960s?

    I am sure there are 1960s textbooks in some libraries.

    From what I am told, our current history books are all cockeyed!

    How do you explain the recent comments by that moron from the Ummah organisation about how only Malays fought the Japanese and the Communists?

    Something like that happens because that moron doesn't know his history and was only given one version of history where Malays did everything and the Indians and the Chinese did nothing.

    I was at Muzium Negara some years ago and the exhibits were a joke.

    Nothing about Cheng Ho, nothing about the nyoyas or babas, nothing about the British bringing over Indian labour, nothing, zero, zilch, nada.

    Then I noticed that the Indians and the Chinese magically appeared in Malaysia around abut the 1950s!!

    Suddenly there they were in the Merdeka exhibit.

    Where the hell did they come from?

    //So people should just be objective and admit this.//

    With all due respect, I suggest that it would be nice if you could use some of that objectivity yourself. :)

    Gladiator

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hahaha malays fought japanese, that razak bapak MO1 collaborated with japanese like a running dog right...

      Delete
    2. Hello IGP, KDN : Konvensyen Kebangkitan Ummah Terlalu Extremis Lah. Siapa Kasi Permit?

      retired teacher told govt to end federal scholarships for minority
      to uplift Malay supremacy ahead of 14th general election.

      Raof Husin told "Rise of the Ummah Convention" here
      govt constitutionally bound to limit study aid to Bumi students.

      will of six late Malay Rulers during negotiations with British
      govt must uphold Article 153 (1) Bumiputera Special Privilege in education

      exclusive govt scholarship to Bumi students and do not give them to others

      Article 153 states YDP Agong’s prerogative to reserve scholarships, civil service positions for Bumi community.

      Raof group against scholarships based on merit.

      Ummah umbrella organisation of 300 Muslim NGOs strongly opposed

      Raof argued meritocracy would hamper Bumi community's progress.

      number of Bumi in critical professions still very small
      Bumi accountants, architects stagnated, decreased past three years.
      if we do not assist them, we would fall further behind

      MTEM said govt must introduce anti-discrimination laws
      but applied only to minority-owned firms

      govt should abolish open tender system for contract
      instead employ “limited tender” only for Bumi

      Ummah to galvanise “Islamic forces”
      against offensive against Islam, ethnic Malays.

      Read more at http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/at-ummah-convention-ex-educator-urges-ban-on-scholarships-for-minorities#aAAjYUB5W9q644hi.9

      Delete
    3. Kepada sahabat di UMMAH, MTEM dan lain-lain.
      Masalahnya bukan di pihak minoriti.
      Masalahnya dengan pihak Melayu dan Islam.

      Kita lihat umat Islam sedunia dulu. Di seluruh dunia ada dua kategori umat Islam.

      Pertama sekali adalah kategori umat Islam yang hidup susah, papa kedana, tidak cerdik, kurang pandai, bergaduh, berperang, berselisih, tergelincir akidah (pada pandangan mazhab lain). Kategori umat Islam ini menghuni kesemua negara Islam yang menjadi ahli OIC. Malaysia pun ahli OIC.

      Kategori kedua adalah umat Islam yang hidup senang lenang, mewah, kaya raya, cerdik, terpelajar, pandai, hidup aman antara berbagai jenis mazhab dan aqidah yang berbeza (shiah, sunnah, sufi, tasawuf, salafi, wahabi, tablighi, ahmadiyah dan lain-lain). Kategori umat Islam ini menghuni negara-negara kafir (atau negara bukan Islam) seperti Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Finland, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Singapura, China, Taiwan dan sebagainya.

      Kalau tidak kaya macam orang bukan Islam pun, sekurang-kurangnya umat Islam di negara kafir ini hidup aman sesama banyak mazhab yang berlainan. Contohnya tidak ada kes orang ahlul sunnah dan salafi berperang dengan orang shiah atau ahmadiyah di Canada, Amerika Syarikat, Australia, England atau Perancis - walaupun terdapat berjuta penduduk Islam di negara itu.

      Sedihnya umat Islam yang hidup paling aman, kaya dan selesa terdapat di negara kafir. Contohnya di Singapura peratusan umat Islam yang memiliki rumah kediaman yang moden dan selesa adalah antara yang paling tinggi bagi umat Islam sedunia. Hampir 95% keluarga (household) Melayu Islam di Singapura memiliki rumah mereka sendiri. Dan rumah mereka adalah cantik, bersih, dalam persekitaran yang sangat tersusun dan selamat.

      Kita bandingkan keadaan ini dengan negara kita Malaysia di mana orang Islam makin susah untuk memiliki rumah sendiri walaupun di pekan atau kampong asal sendiri. Bagi mereka yang mempunyai tanah sendiri di negeri Perlis, untuk menyiapkan rumah empat bilik (mengupah kontraktor sendiri) memerlukan kos pembinaan hampir RM200,000. Berapa ramaikah umat Melayu di Perlis yang mampu belanja RM200,000 ataupun layak diluluskan pinjaman RM200,000 daripada bank?

      Jika membeli rumah daripada pemaju atau developer akan melibatkan belanja yang jauh lebih tinggi. Rumah teres dua tingkat di Kangar dijual dengan harga RM350,000.

      Tambah lagi di Singapura tidak berlaku sebarang persengketaan antara mazhab yang berlainan seperti ahlul sunnah, shiah, salafi, wahabi, ahmadiyyah, tabligh, tasawuf dan lain-lainnya. Semua mazhab dibenarkan mengikuti kepercayaan mereka tanpa diganggu atau menganggu mazhab yang lain.

      Lebih baik bagi umat Islam sedunia berhijrah saja ke negara kafir seperti Australia, Singapura, Amerika dan Kanada untuk menikmati hidup yang lebih selesa, kaya dan selamat.

      Akhir kalam tidak perlu lah saya mengulas panjang berkenaan penolakan meritokrasi. Sahabat di Ummah boleh menolak meritokrasi tapi akibatnya ialah anak anda akan jadi bodoh. Ini sudah confirm.

      ostb

      Delete
    4. "Sedihnya umat Islam yang hidup paling aman, kaya dan selesa terdapat di negara kafir. Contohnya di Singapura peratusan umat Islam yang memiliki rumah kediaman yang moden dan selesa adalah antara yang paling tinggi bagi umat Islam sedunia. Hampir 95% keluarga (household) Melayu Islam di Singapura memiliki rumah mereka sendiri. Dan rumah mereka adalah cantik, bersih, dalam persekitaran yang sangat tersusun dan selamat."

      Worth pointing out also that many Malays excel in Singapore education system, which is less inconsistent than ours in quality.

      Delete
    5. Raof's perception on diminishing bumi community in the field of accountancy and architecture
      His veiled argument to solicit additional bumi funding for education
      Reflected him a flawed/misguided activist
      For eg YB Rafizi, a UK chartered accountant
      You have lost a good accountant but gained a dynamic politician
      Whose self-sacrifice championed the needys and againsts corruptions
      If the administration is fine and dandy
      It automatically spawned more accountants than Che Guevara
      By the way Che Guevara is also a physician/author/diplomat
      Sometimes as human we have to search our imaginations

      Fadzireen

      Delete
  14. ostb,

    //Contohnya tidak ada kes orang ahlul sunnah dan salafi berperang dengan orang shiah atau ahmadiyah di Canada, Amerika Syarikat, Australia, England atau Perancis - walaupun terdapat berjuta penduduk Islam di negara itu.//

    Kafir countries know how to keep the peace between different beliefs - anybody can keep any type of unicorn they like and nobody is allowed to be mean and nasty to another person's unicorn :)

    Because everybody is nice and happy with their own pet unicorns, kafir countries can concentrate on more important things like medical research, space exploration, agriculture, building strong economies, etc.

    Meanwhile, elsewhere, there is no time for medical research, no time for agriculture, no time to build strong economies because the most important subject there is all about why their particular unicorn is the best.

    Gladiator

    ReplyDelete
  15. bangsat nyer kerajaan...semua ko nak blok ek...betul2 kepala bapak kau betul....

    ReplyDelete
  16. Another 'experiment' at our schools, apparently form3 exam is going to be decentralised:

    " It was because of our centralised and standardised national exams that pictures of our nation’s top students standing in a padi field with her father while holding her exam results or standing solemnly in front of her ramshackle house appeared on the front pages of our newspapers – affirming the possibilities of rising to the pinnacle regardless of the school one attended.

    These possibilities would be taken away by this experiment to decentralise PT3."


    Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2018/01/15/a-mistake-to-decentralise-form-3-exam/#QMoCvEYG4SCf5w7B.99

    ReplyDelete
  17. Pas nak mempertahankan islam dan melayu.. tapi nampaknya kawan karib hadi banyak terhutang budi dengan Negara china..dan mereka secara terbuka memartabatkan bahasa mereka. Di mana rakyat Cina negara kita masih hormati bahasa Malaysia kita. Tapi ini dah lain cerita..bila China nak masuk malaysia mereka dah ada pelan A, B, Cxxx - Malaysia is second home for China.

    Prof bangsat pembunuh

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous @ 15 January 2018 at 19:22,

    //Another 'experiment' at our schools, apparently form3 exam is going to be decentralised//

    I am not sure what it means to have "decentralised exams".

    Does it mean different exams for different regions?

    The Star article seems to suggest that is the case (yes, yes, yes, I was speed reading again, OK?).

    If so, this is sheer madness!!

    How would we be able to gauge the effectiveness of our education system?

    In a decentralised system, an urban student scoring 100% in a subject would not necessarily be the same as a rural student who scored 100% in the same subject!

    Or a 100% student from Perlis will most likely be very different from a 100% student in KL.

    We would be trying to compare durians to mangosteens - to use a Malaysian context.

    To be honest, I think that the only two beneficiaries of such a decentralised system will be Penang and Selangor.

    They are the only two states who have the ability to produce top grade students.

    States like Perlis, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak will suffer because they are simply too far behind.

    The decentralised system is merely a lazy man's way of passing the buck elsewhere instead of concentrating on how to improve the current system.

    "Not-my-problem-not-my-fault" seems to be the only objective of this decentralised system.

    A decentralised system of education could possibly work in an advanced country and Malaysia ain't one.

    Gladiator

    ReplyDelete
  19. Are you sure 95% of Spore Malay owned houses in the republic. Go to JB bro. Majority Malay Spore stay/rent a house there. The reason very simple. Cant afford to buy a house and no choice to rent a house in JB and 4.00 am everyday crossing the causeway to work. Talk with facts bro.

    ReplyDelete