Schools...

Okay.. I've sort of decided to not send Rayyan to Sri KDU. Adalah reasons dia and $$ is one of them. I found a cheaper alternative.. and that plan can even start soon.. hehe

I've narrowed down the choices of schools: SK Sri Kelana and SK Taman Megah, both about 5-10 mins drive away. Definitely not going to SK Kampung Tunku.. my alma mater... hehe the condition of that school, the students, and the teachers now.. ntahler... takde confident pulak nak hantar anak sendiri kat sekolah tu.. it used to be the BEST of the BEST.. hehehe

I'm more inclined to send him to SK Taman Megah though... I heard they have a more balanced representation of races in that school. To me that is MOST important. I've gone through a well-mixed co-ed primary school, well-mixed all-boys secondary school, all-Malay co-ed MRSM.. and I think the best is still a well-mixed co-ed school anywhere, anytime... especially since Rayyan has Rayhana.. so a co-ed school is definitely convenient for us..

To me, English is important. And there is no way (yet) that Malay students in primary schools are going to talk to each other in English, UNLESS they make friends with non-Malays and there is a good mix of all the races.

I started my kindergarten in a surau.. Tadika At-Taqwa, I think.. kat Setapak... then, I went to Std 1 at SRK Gombak 1.. dekat Lee Rubber tu... the majority of that school was Malay. Half-way through Std 1, my parents moved to PJ and I went to SRK Kampung Tunku, not speaking a single word of English. But kalau English exam, I score.. hehe

I still remember an incident in Std 2. I wanted to borrow an eraser from a Chinese friend:

I said "Can I wear your rubber?" or something to that effect... hahaha

Another incident was when I was in Std 5, when I didn't complete my Math homework and the class teacher called me and gave me a lecture (in English) and asked why didn't I do my homework... I answered in Malay. I was warned to answer in English whenever asked in English...

Std 5 was the turning point. I had a great class teacher, Mrs Anne Wijasuriya (now living in Australia) who taught most of the subjects, and most of the time she would converse in English. It was then that somehow I spoke English to the max. By the time I went to secondary school at Bukit Bintang Boys' School (BBBS), I didn't have any problem conversing in English with close friends but sooo not confident with strangers though... (actually even now, kekadang kalau depan mat salleh, terkedu jugak lidah.. hehehe.. )

Then, it was my MRSM years... I would say that that was the time when my English went down the drain... even my grandfathers spoke better English than 90% of the students there. I do speak campur2 with the KL guys... but with the rest of my friends and classmates there... Melayu je la... I got C4 for my 1119 class. That was one of the highest marks at my MRSM. I know someone got C3... and that's it... loads of F9... even the majority of KL guys got C5 and C6... I'm pretty sure if I stayed at BBBS I would get better 1119 results.. hehe

Luckily I could still maintain my English proficiency at an acceptable level to get A1 for SPM.

Then it was the PPP/ITM years.... aaaaaahhhh.... some of the best years of my life... reminded me of my primary school years... where Malays speak in English to other Malays in a co-ed environment.. hehehe...

Few months back we had some sort of a small reunion among my MRSM friends. Those who hardly spoke English back then, but obtained their degrees from the UK and the US. I was AMAZED at how confident and well they converse in English...

I am also amazed at Ja... (sapa Ja?).. bini aku ler!!! She hardly spoke any English until she was "forced" to apply for an American Degree program and studied at PPP/ITM before obtaining a degree in the states. I'm more amazed at how critical she is and how well she reads and listens between the lines, especially when we read the same books or watch English movies together... most of the times dia lagi terror dari aku.. haha but kalau ambik English grammar test, I can safely say I can beat her any time... hahaha.. (I'm good at exams.. hehe)

It's all about the learning environment... thanks to ASTRO (hahaha), Rayyan speaks English well. He speaks better English than I was in Std 5! I would never risk it by sending him to a school where he would experience my "MRSM English" years...