BETTER TO BE AN ALL-ROUNDER

By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH
metorse@thestar.com.my

TANGKAK: Academic excellence alone will not make students successful individuals in life, Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said.

Speaking to students and teachers of SMK Ledang, he said students needed to also be active in co-curriculum activities, which would provide extra knowledge and skills.

He said one could spend their whole life reading and learning from books but without co-curriculum interaction, they would not know how to mix around, talk to other people or lead a team.

“That is why the education system today emphasises on the importance of co-curriculum.

Keep up the good work!: Abdul Ghani (right) presenting an award and certificate to one of the students who excelled in cocurriculum activities at SMK Ledang.

“We encourage all students to get involved in co-curriculum besides their academic studies,” he said before presenting awards to students who excelled in co-curriculum activities in the school recently.

Abdul Ghani, who studied at the school in the early 60s, said many of his schoolmates succeeded in life today due to their co-curriculum activities, not only academic achievements.

He agreed with the school for awarding students who excelled in co-curriculum activities, including those who joined uniformed bodies.

He said the Government today had made it compulsory for students to join at least one uniformed association and to take up one sport.

He said co-curriculum also played an important role in their studies, carrying a 10% merit point when they wanted to enter the university.

Abdul Ghani said he felt nostalgic when he arrived at his former school and could still remember his old classrooms.

To honour his old school, he has agreed to allocate RM1mil for the building of a proper school hall, adding that half of the allocation would be paid this year and the rest next year.

SOURCE: THE STAR, SEPT 26, 2011