School promotes Chinese calligraphy of pupils
KOTA KINABALU: SJK(C) St Peter’s Telipok has for the second year, set up a booth in the weekly Gaya Street tamu to promote the work of its Chinese calligraphy pupils.
Headmistress Betty Chong said that other than showcasing the handiwork of its pupils, the exhibit was also a way to raise funds for their activities.
According to her, the calligraphy class is part of the school’s activities and most of its participants are non-Chinese pupils.
“As the non-Chinese pupils make up about 80 per cent of the school’s population, most of those learning Chinese calligraphy are non-Chinese,” she said.
Chong said that the objective of teaching Chinese calligraphy was to promote the art of writing to the pupils as well as to ensure its continuance.
“We are supported by school teachers who volunteer to teach the pupils and also by the Sabah Calligraphy Association,” she said, adding that the school took up a booth in the Gaya Street tamu for two weekends before the Chinese New Year.
At the booth, the pupils, dressed in traditional attire, wrote Chinese proverbs and greetings of well wishes for the Chinese New Year on strips of red paper.
The strips of paper are meant to be hung on both sides of the main door of a house.
Those making donations to the school will be presented with a set of the greetings.
Among the visitors who visited the booth yesterday were Liberal Democratic Party president Datuk Teo Chee Kang and Gerakan Sabah liaison chief Datuk Gordon Leong, who were on their annual Chinese New Year walkabout.