Malaysian education official commends Leyte APEX program

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
July 14, 2007

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte   –   The students under the APEX program seem to be happy and enjoying their studies, Dato’ Haji Yusof Bin Harun, the Deputy Education Minister of Malaysia exclaimed after observing the Science, Math and Technology Livelihood Education (TLE) classes at the Tanauan National High School in Tanauan, Leyte on July 10.

The Deputy Minister said that this is very far from the usual scenarios where the students are usually serious and seemed pressured when inside the classroom. Learning could be fun, indeed and the students emerge brighter and better, he said.

He also admired the commitment of the teachers, the local government unit and the community in helping together so that the education of the students will not go to waste.

He said that the classroom atmosphere is friendly because there is always a team of teachers in each class who do not appear as power figure but one who is supportive to the learning of the students.

True enough, the teachers in the APEX program serve as facilitators in the contextual learning. The students who are always in groups or teams help each member in the learning process because everything is done by the team.

The APEX Program, the Applied Academics for Excellence Program is an opportunity because its strategic objective is to develop students who are ready to pursue higher education or an enterprise of choice in case the students are unable to pursue higher education.

Dato’ Yusof hopes to replicate well the program in Malaysia including the commitment of the teachers, the students, the parents and the local government officials.