Every year, YTL Foundation together with FrogAsia recognises the achievements of schools and teachers by celebrating their hard work and dedication in raising the bar in 21st Century Education. The award acknowledges schools and individuals who have made a difference in teaching and learning, in school administration and in community engagement. This year’s Awards Night was held at the JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur.
“Teaching is a noble profession that shapes character and calibre, and contributes to the future of an individual. Not many know the sacrifices that teachers have to make to ensure that their students learn. For many of us, teachers are the backbone of our society because they contribute in shaping the future of our nation, hence, every year, we make it a top priority to celebrate these teachers for their efforts and dedication towards improving education in Malaysia. We want to celebrate those who have worked hard behind the scenes to propel their students forward; those who have struggled through change, and have seen the fruit of their labour,” said Datin Kathleen Chew, Programme Director of YTL Foundation who was present at the ceremony together with Yeoh Pei Lou, Executive Director of FrogAsia.
“We want to highlight that education is recognised as a key fundamental right and this right cannot be fulfilled without qualified teachers. It is no doubt that a teacher's job is challenging, as not every student is the same, thus requiring the teacher to be dynamic and agile in the use of different teaching approaches. Although teaching can seem to be a commonplace profession, yet its challenges can mean it takes a special type of person to achieve excellence in this career. ” Datin Kathleen added.
The Awards Night celebrates national and international contributions in education through the prestigious Frog Teachers Awards, Frog World Championships, Global School Leaders Malaysia Awards, Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay Transformational Awards, Puan Sri Kai Yong Yeoh Book Prize and YTL Foundation Schools Awards.
Guests at the Awards Night were entertained by Sufian Suhaimi, a Malaysian singer and former teacher known for his singles, "Terakhir" "Di Matamu" and "Mencuba". Sufian also recently won the Best Performer award at the Anugerah Juara Lagu 2019.
YTL Foundation held the inaugural YTL Foundation Awards at JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur in collaboration with FrogAsia to celebrate and honour exemplary teachers from all over the country who have effectively implemented 21st Century learning in their classrooms.
The guest of honour was YAM Tunku Besar Seri Menanti Tunku Ali Redhauddin Tuanku Muhriz, the Crown Prince of Negeri Sembilan who is also Chairman and Founding Trustee of Teach for Malaysia.
The 1BestariNet Teacher Awards and the YTL Foundation Schools Awards were presented to the winners at the event. These awards celebrate the achievements of teachers and schools that performed exceptionally well in 2018.
1BestariNet Teacher Awards
The three teachers who received the 1BestariNet Teacher Awards were Puan Norsiah Abd. Rahman, headmistress of SMK Air Molek, Mr. Yu Kok Hui, ICT and Frog Admin of SMK Skudai and En. Nasrul Safwan bin Zaukafli, a science teacher from SK Sungai Pinang.
YTL Foundation Schools
The five schools who received the YTL Foundation Schools Awards were SK Ampangan, SK Seri Bayu, SMK Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, SMK Tengku Mahmud and SMK (P) Pudu.
Frog World Championships 2018
The winners of the Frog World Championships 2018 were also presented with their prizes at the event. This contest is an international competition designed to get students and schools motivated to engage in independent learning.
The schools that won in the FrogPlay World Championships 2018 are:
There was also a special presentation of the Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay Transformational Teaching Award launched by Teach For Malaysia this year in honour of the late Tan Sri Dato’ Sri (Dr) Yeoh Tiong Lay in recognition of his unceasing commitment to education.
The night ended with the announcement of the Best Dressed for the evening by Adibah Noor, the guest artiste at the event.