Preparatory night class starts with 6 longhouses for homework
SIBU: A preparatory night class will be implemented at six longhouses in Nangka state constituency to provide a conducive environment for school children to revise their lessons and complete their homework.
Assistant Minister for Science Research and Biotechnology Dr Annuar Rapaee, who is also Nangka assemblyman, said the method is similar to that in residential schools, where students study in a supervised environment.
He explained that the class is meant to prepare students for the following day’s class by ensuring that they studied and completed their homework.
“We will start with the six longhouses first because we want to see how it can be improved once implemented. The six longhouses have many school children.
“In this regard, tables and chairs will be provided and will be placed at a corner of that particular longhouse; we call it ‘Laman Ilmu’ (knowledge garden). This is meant for all students in that particular longhouse where they can study in a conducive environment away from distractions of television. Books will also be provided.
“We found that it was more effective for them to study together rather than individually. The good thing is that this will encourage peers to help out each other in their studies,” Dr Annuar told The Borneo Post yesterday.
He said this was not really a tuition class and that there was no direct teaching involved like that in a classroom setting.
“It is like that in a residential school; we call it preparation for next day’s class— just to ensure that the students study and complete their homework.”
Adding on, he said longhouse chiefs would assign parents to take turns to supervise the children nightly from 6.30pm onwards.
He said a teacher will visit a particular longhouse once a week or fortnightly to assist the students if they have problems with their school work.
Dr Annuar mentioned that his service centre was in the midst of getting teachers to register for that purpose.
“If that particular longhouse itself has a teacher, he or she will be our first choice.”
Towards this end, he said it was not possible to have the programme in all 33 longhouses in the constituency.
Instead, he said children from smaller longhouses would be grouped to study together in a nearby longhouse.
He estimated the programme will be implemented in 20 longhouses.
On another matter, Dr Annuar said he was putting emphasis on kindergartens this year in his constituency.
Under the Rural Transformation Programme ( RTP), he said eight kindergartens would be given a facelift.
Meanwhile, he launched the ‘Laman Ilmu’ at Rumah Bungan, Mile 8 here last Saturday.