Last week, 24 teachers from 12 local public schools were presented with certificates for completing the 9-session Dual Language Program (DLP) at The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL). The program, which results from a long-term partnership with the Ministry of Education, is designed to further enhance the effectiveness of teaching mathematics and science using English as a medium of instruction. Esteemed guests from the Private Education Department, Ministry of Education, Encik Fauzi Bin Asirop – Director of the Private Education Department, Puan Aniza Binti Kamarulzaman, Dr. Hjh Zurina Binti Marzuki, Encik Nandakumar A/L Kunasekaran, Cik Nur Fauziana Binti Mohamed, Puan Suzana Sophee Khoo – Senior Assistant Director from the KL State Education Department, and our Head of School, Mr. Rami Madani were on hand to congratulate the participants and present them with their certificates.
Rami welcomed the cohort of teachers at the Melawati Theatre, expressing his gratitude that ISKL is involved in a program that positively impacts all stakeholders. “I deeply believe in the power of education in transforming our world and the importance of the role that skilled teachers play in inspiring and motivating students. In turn, educated youth make wise choices and work hard to improve conditions for themselves, others, and our world,” he said.
“Relationships, a sense of belonging, and connections are important in learning. We learned different approaches to building it in the classroom.” This was one of the comments made during the Presentation of Certificates Ceremony by a teacher who participated in the Dual Language Program (DLP) at ISKL.
MOE’s Director of Private Education, Encik Fauzi Asirop, touched on how the program aims to develop teachers’ confidence in teaching mathematics and science using English as the medium of instruction and enhance their teaching strategies in ensuring quality education delivery to students. “However, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the delivery of the program had to be conducted online,” he added. The resilient response of all the participating educators was excellent as they completed the 9-session program successfully despite the circumstances.
Guided by ISKL’s Teaching and Learning team, teachers learned the importance of connection and relationships between teachers and students to create a supportive learning environment. In addition to that, English as an Additional Language (EAL) strategies such as visual models, sentence stems, teacher modeling, and instructional plan rehearsals are also shared with the teachers.
Led by dedicated ISKL facilitators Stacy Stephens, Joel Llaban, Paige Emerich, and Tanya Hawkes, their leadership and input allow ISKL to work together with colleagues from other schools in positively impacting future generations. This initiative reflects ISKL’s commitment to knowledge sharing and community partnership, and it has been an enriching experience for everyone involved.
As evidenced by Rami in his concluding speech: “Our thanks to each of you – our colleagues who have shared this learning journey with us. It has been a great privilege to work together with you, and we look forward to hearing how the learning is going back in the classroom.”
