Excellent Teachers Create an Outstanding Nation

Students and teachers gathered once again at the Arena Wira for the school level, Teachers’ day celebration, a day in recognition of the roles and contributions of teachers. Every year in SMKTD, this special day is being celebrated on last day of school, before the Mid-Term break where many students would usually opt to play truant as the exams are over!

However, students from the afternoon session were faithfully present and they were in school even earlier than their normal school hours to celebrate this auspicious day with their teachers.

Teachers adorned in their Sunday best: the ladies were dressed to kill, in colourful and attractive outfits with matching handbags, shoes and accessories .The men wore their smart shirts and some in their mismatching ties (an epitome of teachers in the 60’s J !) while the Malay cikgus were in their best Baju Melayu, looking more like Raja Sehari (bridegroom)!

The Sixth formers were given the honour to organize the day’s event. A number of activities were lined up for students to show their appreciation to all the teachers of SMKTD who had toiled tirelessly to educate them amidst the very challenging educational system. Also, in attendance to make the day more meaningful were the ever proactive and supportive PTA council members led by the Chairman Mr Chang Kim Loong, AMN.

To end the day, teachers were treated to a sumptuous lunch fully sponsored by the PTA!

Thank you teachers! You Light Up My Life!

A teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. ~Author Unknown

To the Organizing Committee, members of the PTA and students of SMKTD, we would like to say a big thank you for making the day possible.


Photographers: Low Hoi Kit , Phang Wen Jing & Lee Ming Yew.
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A message by Mr Chang Kim Loong ,AMN

YDP, PIBG Sessi 2008/ 2009

Selamat Sejahtera dan Selamat Pagi,

Yang Berusaha Tn Pengetua SMK Taman Desa, Saudara Gan Peng Kheang, Pen. Kanan: Cik Tee Lee Hwa, Pen. Kanan Hal Ehwal Murid Chin Yoke Mei, Pen. Kanan Kokurikulum: Pn Ng Siew Tuan, Penyelia Petang: Lau Bee Yong, Naib YDP Saudara Koh Swee Kyong, AJK PIBG, dif-dif jemputan, para Ibu Bapa, Guru-Guru yang saya hormati, warga-warga SMKTD, tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sekalian.
Selaku Yang Di Pertua PIBG SMK Taman Desa, saya bagi pihak semua Ibu-Bapa pelajar-pelajar Sekolah ini dan AJK PIBG ingin merakamkan setinggi-tinggi perhargaan dan terima kasih kepada Pengetua, Saudara Gan Peng Kheang dan Guru-guru beliau dan disini juga ingin mengucapkan Selamat Hari Guru.

Teachers’ Day is a national occasion where we pay tribute to not only teachers but indeed all those who undertake the tough and often thankless job of educating and developing wholesome characters of hundreds of thousands of young minds of our nation.

Our School system remains good across the board, in that it takes care of children who don’t do well in school. Some of them are from poor families, some of them from broken families & some of them may not be born as talented. It’s a reality; I think we should be realistic and acknowledge it. But at the same time, our attitude should be a positive one; that no matter what the child is like, teachers, parents & individual students make efforts to achieve our educating goals. It is not only the task of teachers to educate, students must want to be educated and parents must take an active role in their children’s education.

The School needs very motivated teachers to do this, people who believe in the mission and who want to achieve it. And I am very heartened with the fact that we have such teachers and we have a school principal whom I know has the mission and passion, and who knows how to go about getting it done.

We have very high expectations and hopes on them and they have high expectations and hopes on themselves. But what we hope from them is not just that they will be able to do well individually but that they will be able to bring the School agenda collectively forward and to fulfil all the hopes that SMKTD aspire ‘KAMI CEMERLANG SMKTD TERBILANG; WE EXCEL SMKTD IS THE BEST OF THE BEST’ They will contribute and they will make others succeed as they have been able to succeed. (Applause)

Recently, YB Dato Seri Hishammuddin, the Minister of Education invited everyone, teachers and PIBG ‘to make their views known on whether the policy to teach Science and Mathematics in English should continue (The Star- Thurs. 15.5.08)’.

‘The views are being sought before a final decision is made after this year’s UPSR results are announced’. The Government has spent RM2.21billion on information and communication technology equipments in the year 2003 to implement the policy of teaching Science and Maths in English. Another RM2.4mil was spent on software, RM317million to train teachers and RM638mil as subject incentives. UPSR results should not be used as a yardstick on the effectiveness of teaching these subjects in English.

First of all, we have to ask ourselves the purpose of our children learning Science and Maths. The answer is we want them to excel at tertiary level and to compete on a global/ international platform not on a ‘jaguh kampong’. Maths and Science (Modern Maths, Add Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics) are dynamic subjects and not easy subjects to learn and master. So, why make it more difficult for our children to learn in a medium that is not internationally available.

The Education dpt must surely realize our students’ dependency on electronic and printed dictionaries just to read their textbooks. We should produce an atmosphere where students could do research and access information on the internet The Ministry should stop gambling with the children future and not change at the whims and fancies ( with political undertone). With the Ministry doubling its efforts to improve the teaching English, it is our vehement, honest and sincere view that Science and Maths should remain to be taught is English (period). Do not dilute the importance of English.

Although every day of school is Teachers’ day, we pause for one day in a year to make it special. Eventfully, teachers who play a role in students’ live, will be well remembered by students long after they have finished schooling and entered working life. Who doesn’t remember even one teacher from their school? That’s what outstanding teachers will be, the guiding star for adults of the future.

Just as a country is as good as its people, so its students are only as good as their teachers. Therefore a great deal depends on you, the Teachers and I salute you, all of you, those here today, and many more who are not here, for your passion, dedication, commitment and contributions. Thank you very much for making a difference to our children and to the future of our country. And keep it up, we expect even more from you. Happy Teachers’ Day!

May God take care of the teachers irrespective of religion, race or creed and let SMK (Taman Desa) be a School to promote tolerance and acceptance in this multi-racial country.
Akhir kata, Selamat bercuti. Sekian, terima kasih