The UP for It Team previously linked up with the office in Kuala Lumpur to deliver an UP for It Roadshow in Malaysia...
Over a two-week period the team visited 8 different schools in and around Kuala Lumpur and delivered workshops to 1000 pupils aged between 13 years and 16 years old. The schools we visited were:
The roadshow was also an ideal opportunity for us to meet with our international members and to develop relationships with local schools. Pupils were also given the opportunity to learn about science, mathematics, and technology and were given creative thinking and employability skills as well as advice about Higher Education in the UK.
Portsmouth based staff joined Kuala Lumpur based colleagues to run a fun and interactive 'Construction' workshop. Within groups students had to build towers out of straws, cardboard tubes and other provided materials. Their towers had to reach a certain height, cost as little as possible, but most importantly support the heaviest load. The workshops encouraged pupils to read, write and speak in English as well as encourage employability skills such as joint decision-making, communication and teamwork.
All the school principals and teachers were very supportive of the workshops and the feedback from the pupils themselves was fantastic. Many said that the workshops were not like anything they had experienced before as they were entertaining as well as fun - the only complaints we had were that they were not long enough.
The pupils had an enthusiastic approach to their work and many have contacted us at the University to find out further information.
Below are 3 interviews with Malaysian School Pupils so that you can see what a typical day is like at school in Malaysia. How does it compare to yours? I'm sure you don't get up as early!
Follow the links below to meet Teo, Michelle and Sethuckarasi: