‘I’m glad my speech inspired student to excel in STPM’
“I still keep the RM50 given by a student who said I inspired him to succeed in Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination,” said retired teacher Nawi Ismail, 62, after receiving his 2019 Tokoh Guru award at the national-level Teachers Day celebration here yesterday.
With a teaching career spanning 37 years, he started teaching at SMK Panji Alam, Kuala Terengganu in 1980 and retired in 2017 at SM Teknik Kuala Terengganu. He now gives motivational talks at schools.
Last year, he delivered a speech at a school in Kemaman, which motivated a student who was sitting STPM.
“It was my usual speech. I could not recall what I said that inspired the student.
“I stressed that students who are weak in their studies but work hard to be successful are better than clever students who are lazy. I guess that motivated him.”
The student scored 4As in STPM. To express his gratitude, he forked out RM50 and gave it to Nawi through his teacher.
Nawi initially refused to accept it as he believed that it was his responsibility to help students succeed. However, the student insisted that Nawi keep the money.
“He came from a poor family and earned the RM50 by working at a night market. I will not use the money. I will keep it to remind myself of the student, who I have not met, but was inspired by my speech and did well in STPM.”
Nawi said he was proud to have made an impact on a student even when he was no longer teaching.
The former Bahasa Melayu teacher is one of the two awarded at the event.
Former teacher Datuk Asariah Mior Shaharuddin was awarded the 2019 Tokoh Kepimpinan Pendidikan Kebangsaan.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad presented a mock cheque for RM50,000, a RM10,000 gold medal and a plaque, courtesy of Bank Simpanan Nasional to each of them.
For Asariah, 66, her proudest moment was when she was appointed as the deputy-director general (teaching professionalism development) at the Education Ministry, where she was part of the team that proposed for Maktab Perguruan to be upgraded to Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG).
She said she worked hard with her team to ensure that IPG produced competent and quality teachers, as well as improve teaching standards.