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Pulse PTES’s Bilingual Newsletter!

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For the students, by the students

PULSE

Issue # 2

2020

Kata Mutiara

Terus Laksanakan Tanggung-jawab Sosial, Praktikkan

Penjarakan Sosial

SESI PERSEKOLAHAN DALAM

NORMA BAHARU

Oleh Nur Shazieana binti Abdullah Mohammad Shahlyn, BE 3

Cikgu Hj Md Noor Hadi bin Hj Md Nasir

Pada bulan Mac yang lalu, virus pandemik yang dikenali sebagai COVID-19 dilaporkan

dari Republik Rakyat China iaitu terdapat 156 kes yang dilaporkan di luar Mainland

China; Hongkong SAR (China) seramai 104 kes jangkitan dan 3 kematian. Manakala

Macau SAR (China) 10 kes jangkitan dan Taiwan (China) seramai 42 kes dan 1 ke-

matian. Kemudian menular ke negara-negara lain termasuk Negara Brunei Darussalam. Beberapa kes jangkitan ditemui di negara ini, iaitu kes import yang dibawa ke negara

kita.

Peningkatan ini semakin ketara sekitar 22 Februari 2020 iaitu dilihat di negara-negara di

luar Republik Rakyat China sebanyak 13,302 ks COVID-19 dengan 266 kes kematian

telah dilaporkan di 77 buah negara di seluruh dunia.

Principal: Cikgu Haji Metussin bin

Haji Jais

ADMINISTRATION

Office: 2671660

Fax: 2671665

Official Website: https://

ptesengkurong.com

Sesi Persekolahan

Dalam Norma

Baharu

PP 1 - 5

Taklimat BKKT P 6

MEXT Scholarships

Talk

PP 7 & 8

TNT Students in the

Picture

P 9

SESI PERSEKOLAHAN DALAM NORMA BAHARU

Orang ramai yang melakukan perjalanan keluar negara adalah dinasihatkan untuk sentiasa mengambil langkah berjaga-jaga serta

mengutamakan amalan kebersihan diri bagi menghindari sebarang risiko jangkitan. Terutamanya bagi mereka yang berisiko tinggi

seperti penghidap penyakit kronik (diabetes, penyakit kardiovaskular, penyakit buah pinggang, penyakit respiratori dan kanser), war-

ga emas serta perokok.

Sebagai langkah berjaga-jaga, orang ramai adalah dinasihatkan untuk mengamalkan amalan kesihatan yang baik pada setiap masa :

Mengekalkan tahap kebersihan diri;

Kerap membasuh tangan dengan air yang bersih dan sabun atau menggunakan “hand sanitiser” (terutamanya sebelum mengen-

dalikan makanan, sebelum makan, selepas menggunakan tandas, atau selepas batuk atau bersin);

Memakai sungkup muka (mask) jika mempunyai tanda-tanda jangkitan pernafasan seperti batuk atau selsema;

Menutup mulut dengan tisu ketika batuk dan bersin, dan segera membuang tisu tersebut ke dalam tong sampah;

Bersikap bertanggungjawab jika menghidapi tanda-tanda jangkitan pernafasan untuk mendapatkan rawatan dan berehat di rumah

serta mengelakkan dari mengunjungi tempat-tempat awam dan menghadiri acara keramaian.

Berikutan dengan penularan jangkitan COVID-19 di Negara

Brunei Darussalam, Kementerian Pendidikan mengambil

langkah berjaga-jaga bagi memastikan kemungkinan jangkitan

adalah terkawal dengan mengubah tarikh bermulanya cuti peng-

gal pertama persekolahan iaitu dari 16 Mac 2020 ke tarikh 11

Mac 2020. Perubahan cuti ini melibatkan sekolah-sekolah ren-

dah, menengah, maktab, Pusat Tingkatan Enam dan Institusi

Pendidikan Teknikal Brunei (IBTE) di bawah kawalan Kemen-

terian Pendidikan dan sekolah-sekolah di bawah kawalan Ke-

menterian Hal Ehwal Ugama, sekolah-sekolah Swasta dan

sekolah-sekolah antarabangsa.

Dalam hal ini, pihak pusat mengambil inisiatif dengan menga-

dakan perhimpunan di Multi-Media Theater (MMT) PTES pada

bulan lalu, 19 Febuari 2020 yang disampaikan oleh Cikgu Hj

Md Noor Hadi bin Hj Md Nasir. Beliau mengongsikan

maklumat berkaitan penularan jangkitan COVID-19 dan langkah-langkah mengamalkan amalan kesihatan yang baik

pada setiap masa.

Setelah beberapa bulan penutupan sekolah berikutan usaha

pihak Kementerian Pendidikan dalam membendung jangkitan

wabak COVID-19, pada hari Isnin 30 Mac 2020 persekolahan

dibuka semula dengan mengamalkan penjarakan sosial, amalan

kebersihan dan mengikut garis pandu yang telah ditetapkan.

Justeru, dalam usaha membendung dan mencegah penularan

jangkitan wabak COVID-19, pihak Pusat Tingkatan Enam

Sengkurong telah bersiap sedia dengan meningkatkan langkah-

langkah kewaspadaan iaitu setiap pelajar dikehendaki membawa

pensanitasi tangan sendiri (hand sanitiser), memakai sungkup Kerap membasuh tangan dengan air bersih adalah sangat penting muka (mask) ketika berada di sekolah dan mengamalkan penjarakan sosial/fizikal sejauh satu meter daripada rakan-rakan dan pen-

syarah-pensyarah mereka. Manakala di dalam bilik kuliah tempat-tempat duduk disusun mengikut penjarakan sejauh satu meter bagi

keselamatan dan kesejahteraan pelajar serta mematuhi SOP yang ditetapkan.

Berikut wawancara (temubual) wakil Pulse (WP) bersama Cikgu Hj Md Noor Hadi (HNH):

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SESI PERSEKOLAHAN DALAM NORMA BAHARU

WP: Terlebih dahulu, diucapkan terima kasih atas kesudian Cikgu menjawab soa-

lan yang akan dikemukakan.

HNH: Sama-sama.

WP: Bilakah kali pertama anda mendengar berita tentang penularan

wabak COVID-19?

HNH: Berita mula didengar pada penghujung bulan Januari. Pada masa itu seluruh

dunia sedang menyambut perayaan Tahun Baru Cina, oleh itu berita tentang sebuah

bandar di Negeri Cina iaitu Wuhan dan penyakit yang menular di sana menjadi satu

isu yang menyedihkan memandangkan suasana perayaan dan kesusahan

menbendung penularan. Lebih-lebih lagi pekerja-pekerja yang perlu berusaha

membina hospital sementara semasa waktu perayaan. Faktor-faktor ini membuat berita Wuhan Coronovirus (nama virus sebelum ditukar menjadi COVID-19)

menonjol daripada berita semasa yang lain.

Pemeriksaan suhu badan pelajar

WP: Adakah anda pernah memikirkan yang virus ini akan menular ke negara kita?

HNH: Pada awalnya risiko jangkitan itu saya rasa kurang bagi Negara Brunei

Darussalam disebabkan kebanyakkan rakyat jarang keluar negeri iaitu tempat

awal penularan wabak iaitu Negeri Cina. Lebih-lebih lagi kebanyakkan rakyat

sibuk bekerja dan cuti penggal persekolahan masih dalam 1 ke 2 bulan dari

permulaan wabak ini dikesan.

WP: Apa kaitan anda sebagai Ketua Aktiviti Ko-Kurikular dan pelantikan anda

dalam membendung penularan penyakit COVID-19. Adakah ia bermakna

bahawa cikgu sendiri mempunyai penggalaman dalam hal kesihatan?

HNH: Pada awalnya sebagai GK CCA saya perlu mengetahui tentang COVID-19 ini

adalah disebabkan saya menyelaras penglibatan PTES dalam acara Hari

Kebangsaan dan pada masa itu penularan COVID-19 telah sampai ke negara jiran

iaitu Semenanjung Malaysia dan Singapura. Saranan dari pengurus acara Hari

Kebangsaan adalah bagi penyelaras pasukan yang terlibat dalam acara maklum

tentang risiko COVID-19. Kami sebagai penyelaras pasukan telah diarahkan untuk

hadir bagi sesi taklimat COVID-19 oleh Kementerian Kesihatan di Stadium

Tertutup pada 18 Febuari 2020 jam 2:00 petang. Taklimat itu telah banyak

memberi maklumat penting seperti cara-cara jangkitan wabak berserta dengan cara

-cara melindungi diri dari jangkitan. Setelah menghadiri taklimat ini saya

menyampaikan maklumat yang telah diperolehi pada sesi taklimat Acara Hari

Kebangsaan di PTES kepada pelajar-pelajar, pensyarah-pensyarah dan

kakitangan-kakitangan yang ikut serta bagi acara tersebut. Sebenarnya, saya

sendiri tidaklah ada penggalaman professional bagi hal-hal kesihatan selain

menjaga kesihatan sendiri berserta ahli keluarga.

Gambar kanan: Mematuhi Peraturan Keselamatan Pusat

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SESI PERSEKOLAHAN DALAM NORMA BAHARU

WP: Siapakah guru-guru yang terlibat dalam menangani situasi penularan wabak ini?

HNH: Dari segi SOP dan prosedur telah dibincangkan dalam bebrapa mesyuarat EMT iaitu terdiri daripada Pengetua, Timbalan-

Timbalan Pengetua, Guru-Guru Kanan berserta dengan Bursar. Mesyuarat ini telah diadakan secara atas talian dan

bersemuka. Kami telah membincangkan langkah-langkah yang perlu diambil untuk menjamin keselamatan dan kesihatan

warga PTES, apabila persekolahan penggal dibuka semula serta mengambil saranan dan perkembangan wabak COVID-19

menerusi siaran akhbar Kementerian Kesihatan dan juga Kementerian Pendidikan.

Bagi perjalanan harian kesemua pensyarah dan kakitangan PTES adalah terlibat dalam menangani situasi ini. Para kakitangan dan pengawal keselamatan adalah bertanggungjawab untuk membuat pemeriksaan suhu badan bagi semua yang

memasuki kawasan pusat. Para pensyarah juga diberi amanah pada awal pembukaan sekolah untuk berada di tempat-tempat

yang strategik bagi membantu para pelajar menyesuaikan diri bagi SOP pembukaan sekolah. Di samping itu pensyarah juga

membuat rondaan bagi memastikan penjarakan sosial dan fizikal dikekalkan di pusat sebagaimana arahan Kementerian

Kesihatan.

Selain perjalanan harian pensyarah dari Bahagian Resource & Estate Management & Bahagian HSSE dengan pertolongan kakitangan bantu telah berusaha pada waktu cuti sekolah penggal pertama untuk menyediakan bangunan dan persekitaran

PTES bagi mematuhi kesemua langkah berjaga-jaga yang disarankan oleh Kementerian Kesihatan dan juga Kementerian

Pendidikan.

WP: Adakah anda berpuas hati dengan langkah-langkah yang dilaksanakan oleh PTES bagi mencegah virus tersebut

atau adakah anda akan mengambil langkah yang berbeza dalam menangani virus ini jika kejadian seumpamanya

itu terjadi lagi?

HNH: Pihak pentadbiran, pensyarah dan kakitangan PTES telah membuat semua yang patut bagi menangani penularan COVID-19

dengan jayanya. Kesemua langkah yang perlu diambil telah dilaksanakan dan suasana PTES sentiasa dipantau bagi proses

penambahbaikkan SOP sekolah dalam menangani COVID-19 ini.

WP: Adakah anda berasa bahawa guru-guru dan pelajar-pelajar memperlihatkan tingkah laku yang bertanggungjawab?

HNH: Pada lazimya pensyarah dan sebahagian ramai pelajar patuh dengan kesemua arahan pihak pusat tetapi ada yang kadang-

kadang alpa dan lupa bahawa wabak COVID-19 ini masih belum selesai dan negara kita masih lagi dalam keadaan

berwaspada. Oleh itu teguran perlu dibuat kepada mana-mana pihak yang tidak mengikut arahan Kementerian Kesihatan.

Saya sendiri sering memberi amaran kepada pelajar yang kurang patuh pada arahan penjarakan sosial dan fizikal semasa

membuat rondaan pada waktu pagi. Kementerian Kesihatan sering mengingatkan para rakyat dalam siaran akhbar bahawa

COVID-19 ini belum lagi dapat ditangani dengan sepenuhnya disebabkan penularan di luar negara, lebih-lebih lagi situasi

negara-negara lain yang telah mengalami Second Wave iaitu penularan semula setelah berjaya menangani penularan awal

dan pengurangan sekatan pergaulan disebabkan oleh COVID-19.

WP: Adakah anda terfikir tentang virus ini atau virus lain akan kembali? Jika ya, adakah anda bersedia untuk

menghadapinya?

HNH: Jika semua ingkar pada arahan atau tidak mahu mengikut peraturan yang telah disediakan sudah tentu kesemua jenis

penyakit dan wabak akan berleluasa. Arahan yang diberi adalah untuk keselematan kita bersama dan bukan hanya untuk

sebahagian pihak sahaja. Cara termudah bagi menangani mana-mana wabak adalah dengan bekerjasama dan jika kerjasama

ini tidak diberi maka risiko penularan akan semakin meningkat.

WP: Mengikut anggapan anda, apakah yang kita pelajari dari situasi penularan virus COVID-19?

HNH: Pengajaran yang penting COVID-19 kepada kita adalah kita hidup dalam suasana bermasyarakat dan tingkah laku kita tidak

hanya membawa kesan kepada kita seorang malah melibatkan keselamatan sekitar masyarakat. Contohnya satu individu

yang ingkar kepada arahan pengasingan diri dan bergaul dengan keluarga dan rakan sepejabat akan mendedahkan kesemua

orang disekililingnya kepada virus COVID-19. Lebih dari itu perbuatan ini juga menjejaskan kerja pejabat dan kehidupan

seharian ahli keluarga disebabkan oleh arahan kuarantin jika terdapat bukti jangkitan COVID-19.

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SESI PERSEKOLAHAN DALAM NORMA BAHARU

WP: Adakah anda terfikir bahawa virus tersebut akan membawa perubahan dalam bidang pendidikan. Jika ya, sila

jelaskan jawapan anda.

Pada awalnya pendidikan akan berjalan seperti biasa disebabkan kesuntukkan masa bagi menyiapkan kandungan pelajaran

yang tertinggal disebabkan pengajaran dan pembelajaran secara atas talian. Tetapi pada masa hadapan ia mungkin akan

menyebabkan perubahan dalam suasana pembelajaran disebabkan oleh kemahiran para pensyarah-pensyarah dalam

mencuba cara pengajaran baharu, pada mulanya mungkin kelas tambahan ataupun persediaan bagi kelas boleh diadakan

secara atas talian dan tidak mustahil pengajaran dan pembelajaran akan sedikit sebanyak bertukar ke cara lain selaras

pembelajaran norma baharu.

WP: Apakah nasihat anda bagi kesemua guru-guru dan pelajar-pelajar di PTES dan juga ke seluruh penduduk Negara

Brunei Darussalam?

HNH: Jangan alpa dan terlalu selesa dengan suasana sekarang. Kementerian Kesihatan telah banyak berjasa bagi melindungi rakyat Brunei dari wabak COVID-19. Oleh itu hargailah pengorbanan mereka dan jagalah tingkahlaku supaya apa yang telah

diusahakan oleh Kementerian Kesihatan tidak menjadi sia-sia.

WP: Akhir sekali, terima kasih kepada Cikgu Hj Md Noor Hadi atas kesudian menjawab soalan-soalan tadi.

Patuhi Penjarakan Sosial

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BKKT GIAT MEMBANGUN INDUSTRI PELANCONGAN DI DAERAH TUTONG

Nur Shazieana binti Abdullah Mohammad Shahlyn, BE 3

SENGKURONG, Khamis 23 Julai – Pusat Tingkatan Enam Sengkurong telah menjemput Yang Mulia, Tuan Muhammad Amir bin

Hj Umarali , Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Badan Kemajuan Dan Kreatif Daerah Tutong berserta Pegawai-Pegawai BKKT untuk

menyampaikan taklimat tentang Penubuhan Dan Peranan Badan Kemajuan Dan Kreatif di daerah Tutong dalam Industri

Pelancongan di Negara Brunei Darussalam.

Majlis taklimat yang berlangsung pada waktu petang itu turut dihadiri oleh Pensyarah-Pensyarah dari Jabatan Travel And Tourism

serta pelajar-pelajar tingkatan enam atas dan enam bawah Travel And Tourism. Majlis dimulakan dengan bacaan surah Al-Fatihah

yang diketuai oleh Suzardi bin Mohammad Aliyas. Tujuan utama taklimat ini adalah untuk memberi pendedahan kepada pelajar-

pelajar khususnya dalam mata pelajaran Travel And Tourism mengenai fungsi dan peranan BKKT dalam mempergiatkan aktiviti

dan produk pelancongan di daerah Tutong. Selain itu, taklimat juga dihasratkan sebagai input dalam pembelajaran khasnya

berkaitan dengan peranan dan keutamaan organisasi-organisasi dalam mengurus dan memajukan industri pelancongan di

sesebuah destinasi. Yang mulia, Tuan Muhammad Amir bin Hj. Umarali, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif BKKT dan Yang Mulia, Tuan

Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hamdan, Pegawai Bahagian Kesenian dan Kebudayaan BKKT meneruskan taklimat tersebut dengan

penerangan mengenai usaha-usaha yang dilaksanakan dan warisan budaya daerah Tutong sebagai tarikan kepada pelancong. Majlis

taklimat diakhiri dengan penyampaian hadiah penghargaan yang dilaksanakan oleh Ketua Jabatan Travel And Tourism , Cikgu Hjh

Siti Ainun Jariah binti Hj Mohd Jaafar kepada ahli-ahli BKKT dan seterusnya diakhiri dengan sesi bergambar ramai.

“Taklimat tersebut membantu saya mengetahui kaedah-kaedah ahli-ahli BKKT dalam misi menarik minat pelancong agar

mengunjungi destinasi daerah Tutong. Secara kesimpulannya, taklimat yang disampaikan bermanfaat kepada para pelajar

yang mengambil mata pelajaran Travel And Tourism” kata Mohd Shafiq Azroy bin Saheriful.

Beberapa orang pelajar turut memberikan pendapat mereka iaitu melalui taklimat yang disampaikan oleh Pegawai-Pegawai BKKT

itu, mereka dapat menjadikan isi kandungan dan informasi-informasi taklimat sebagai maklumat ilmu tambahan yang berkaitan

dengan subjek Travel And Tourism.

Cikgu Hjh Siti Ainun binti Hj Mohd Ja’afar menyerahkan cenderamata kepada Yang Mulia Tuan Abdul Aziz bin Hj

Hamdan dan Amir bin Hj Umarali

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PTES STUDENTS EXPLORING DIFFERENT WAYS TO STUDY OVERSEAS

Pulse education reporter

With the decrease in the number of Brunei government scholarships on offer in recent years, not to mention the high levels of aca-

demic attainment required to secure them, more and more A Level students are beginning to regard this path to realising their dreams

of studying at a university abroad as more of a forlorn hope than a reality and are thus looking for alternatives.

In recognition of this fact, the members of the PTES Career and Higher Education Section (CHE) have made it a part of their mission

to try to raise awareness among those students who have set their hearts on going overseas of the various options that are open to

them even if they don’t manage to obtain a government scholarship or, as in the case of non-yellow IC holders, are ineligible for one.

One such option is that offered by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in the form of its

annual MEXT (Monbukagakusho) scholarships and in an effort to interest PTES students in the idea of studying for a degree in Ja-

pan, the tireless members of the CHE, headed by Cikgu Hjh Nurul Hakiimah binti Hj Mohammad, took the enlightened decision to

invite representatives of the Japanese Embassy in Brunei to give a talk about these scholarships.

Taking place on 21st July, the talk was attended by 46 students all eager to glean what knowledge they could concerning such things

as the application procedure for scholarships, the degree subjects available, academic life, their roles as academic and cultural ambas-

sadors for Brunei and Japan as well as the reality of living in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Regarding the application procedure, the PTES students were informed that notification of the scholarships was usually made in

April and that they could submit their applications online to the Japanese Embassy in Brunei. In addition, they were told that part of

the application procedure involved having to sit for a university entrance examination consisting of test papers in English, Mathemat-

ics and Japanese.

Guest speakers Jessica Lee and Aoki Atsushi

The representatives (Jessica Lee of the Scholarship Section and First Secretary Aoki Atsushi) of the Japanese Embassy then ex-

plained that the candidates who passed the entrance examination would be allowed to study for the degree course of their choice.

However, it was pointed out that the scholarships on offer were aimed at promoting study in technological subjects, with the majority

of courses available being in the field of engineering and its various branches.

There was also a reminder to the students who attended the talk that, if given a scholarship, it would be on the understanding that

they would be committed to learning Japanese and deepening their understanding of the country, as an important aim of the scholar-

ships is that of fostering individuals who will become bridges of friendship between Brunei and Japan and will contribute to the de-

velopment of both countries. 7

PTES STUDENTS EXPLORING DIFFERENT WAYS TO STUDY OVERSEAS

For those students with reservations regarding daily life in a country so culturally different from Brunei, the Embassy representatives

assured them that there were mosques in some of the prefectures in Japan and that if halal food was not available in shops, it could be

ordered online and delivered to the place they were staying.

At the end of the talk, some of the students were in buoyant mood – ready to take up the challenge of learning Japanese and strength-

ening the ties between the two countries.

What they said

Following the talk, a few of the students were invited to give their comments and this is what they said:

‘The Japan MEXT Scholarship Briefing was quite informative and great! I had a great time listening to the briefing. We solved some

past-year questions and had fun’ – Nurin Hayati, BE 7

The briefing was very informative and they gave us handouts so that we could read more about studying in Japan - Deebs, BE 8

The talk was useful to know about education in Japan and what the scholarships give us, although I am still confused about how to

apply for it – Md. Ezularif, BE 5

Thanks go to the staff of the Japanese Embassy who took time out to give the briefing to the PTES students as well as to Cikgu Hjh

Nurul Hakiimah and the rest of the members of the CHE who attended the talk (Cikgu Izatul Farida binti Hj Hussin, Cikgu Valliatha-

rayil Annie Phillipose, Cikgu Dk Nur Sajidah Rohani binti Pg Hj Roslan, Cikgu Peng Pei Pei, Cikgu Dk Rabi’atul ‘Adawiyah Iylia

binti Pg Hj Emran and Cikgu Assyakirin Nurhuda binti Hj Azman @ Amanda Stewart) for their dedication in disseminating as much

information as possible to PTES students in order to ensure that they can make informed choices about their futures.

All photos by Cikgu Hjh Nurul Hakiimah binti Hj Mohamad

Social distancing was the order of the day

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TNT STUDENTS IN THE PICTURE

Pulse arts resporter

While few of our readers can have failed to notice the colourful Travel and Tourism poster adorning the wall by the main staircase on

level 4 of the teaching block, how many of you have stopped to consider how it got to be there in the first place? Very few, I suspect.

However, thanks to the curiosity of one of our veteran reporters we at Pulse have saved you the trouble!

On espying the said poster (pictured below) our reporter wasted little time in tracking down the Head of the Travel and Tourism

Department, Cikgu Hjh Siti Ainun Jariah binti Hj Mohd Ja’afar, to arrange for an exclusive interview.

The obvious first question was what had prompted the decision to put this masterpiece where it is, with the answer simplicity itself:

‘It is to mark the location of TNT classroom so that it is easy for people to find us,’ Cikgu Hjh Siti Ainun explained.

Asked to say a little more about the circumstances which led to this picture being put on public display, Cikgu Hjh Siti Ainun Jariah

revealed that she had actually commissioned it, with her choice of artist being none other than former student Siti Nurhanis Nikmatul

Zunah binti Hj Roslan who obtained a grade A in the 2019 A Level TNT Examination.

Although quick to refute the idea that she is a latter-day Maecenas, Cikgu Hjh Siti Ainun nevertheless conceded that the poster was

designed to attract attention, pointing out that in the highly competitive world of travel and tourism, there was no room for shrinking

violets if you wanted to get ahead of your rivals.

‘For this,’ Cikgu Hjh Ainun declared, ‘students who are hoping to find work in the travel and tourism industry will need to be crea-

tive in terms of designing marketing materials, recommending actions for ensuring sustainable tourism as well as doing all that they

can in order to meet the needs and wants of their customers.’

Thus, with Siti Nurhanis’ eye-catching creation depicting the map of the world, the different types of transport used by international

travellers not to mention the TNT subject code (9395), there is no excuse for anyone not to be in the picture when it comes to this

subject.

Don’t be surprised, therefore, to see a significant increase in the number of students enrolling for A Level Travel and Tourism when

lower sixth registration takes place next February!

A lesson in creativity: Siti Nurhanis Nikmatul Zunah binti Hj Roslan’s eye-catching poster

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WHERE LITERATURE AND ART MEET

Pulse arts resporter

If you have just read the article on the previous page you would be forgiven for thinking that the members of the Travel and Tourism

Department have the monopoly when it comes to producing pictures. Think again, though, as it has come to light that one half of the

English Literature Department, namely Cikgu Roziana binti Hj Juned, has also been exploring this avenue in an effort to tap her stu-

dents’ powers of creativity.

Unlike the TNT Department, however, Cikgu Rozianna (CR) has not sought to advertise the fact and had it not been for the eagle eye

of yours truly (PR) who happened to spot 4 examples of the artwork produced by her students, the tale of Cikgu Roziana’s efforts

may have been lost to posterity.

The stimulus for these creations was poetry, and in this edition of Pulse we not only bring you an in-depth interview with Cikgu Rozianna, but also the stories behind 2 of these works of art that, some would argue, should be seen hanging on the wall of the teach-

ing block outside the English Literature classrooms.

Interview with Cikgu Rozianna binti Hj Juned:

PR: Where did the idea for getting your Literature students to paint these pictures come from?

CR: I don’t really remember where the idea came from. I remember the first batch of students

who did this project and that was in 2014. Their painting is still hanging on my classroom wall.

I also remember one student who gifted me a huge canvas painting that included a few lines

from the poetry anthology in the English Literature syllabus and this was back in 2012 in PTE Katok. I also remember looking at pictures of an Arts Seminar organised by Seeds Brunei in

2015, where students used pasta to create art on canvas. So, it could be from different sources

and projects that I was involved in .

PR: What was your aim in getting the students to paint them?

CR: I am very much interested in using practical activities to teach the subject. I have used po-

etry theatre in lessons where students dramatise a poem or just a few lines in a poem. Students

are able to use gestures to suggest the imageries in the poem. The dramatisation is based on

their interpretation of the poem’s meaning. In this particular painting activity, I wanted them to

present their interpretations on a canvas, rather than in an essay. This interpretation is a part of

their analysis of the poem. Referring to the first batch of students who did this activity, they Cikgu Rozianna: likes using studied Wilfred Owen’s poetry where most of the poems are poems based on the poet’s experience

practical activities in her lessons as a soldier in the First Word War. I remember these students getting their hands dirty in green

and black paint to represent the newly introduced gas attack then. The gas is sulphur and hence the colour green and this gas attack is

depicted in Owen’s poem Dulce et Decorum Est. Students then were able to explain their choices in the colours used and explain the

significance of these colours to the meaning presented by the poet in the poem.

PR: Did all your students have to complete a picture or were they given alternative forms in which to express themselves? If no,

please give reasons.

CR: The other reason for this activity is aesthetic. My classroom is quite bare in terms of wall decorations so I thought of having

paintings (on canvas, not paper) to be put up on the walls. Therefore, each student had to complete his or her paintings on canvas.

PR: What was the input that led to the students producing these pictures?

CR: Every year, this project traditionally starts after the May/June exam as a breather activity after the intensive revision period. Ini-

tially, students choose one quotation from texts that they have studied. For this year’s students the quotes could be from the 28 po-

ems, the 12 short stories, Shakespeare’s play Much Ado about Nothing or Williams’ play Sweet Bird of Youth. Then students discuss

how they interpret the meaning of this chosen quote and its significance to the whole text. Then students attempt to translate this writ-

ten or verbal interpretation into an artwork (using paint and other materials like fabric). The input is actually students’ analyses of the

quotes.

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WHERE LITERATURE AND ART MEET

PR: How do you feel the students benefited from carrying out this project?

CR: The use of imagery in literary texts is abundant. This project enables students to visualise these imageries and present them in a

less abstract manner. Visual representation of these imageries would help open more interpretations of the written text. Students’

understanding of the key elements of the text could also be assessed in these paintings.

PR: The pictures have an uncanny resemblance, in terms of format or dimensions, to the TNT poster that has now been placed on

Level 4 of the teaching block. Were you aware that the Head of the TNT Department had commissioned a student to do something

similar at the time you launched your project?

CR: I was not aware of this TNT poster until Mr. John pointed it out to me. This project started in 2014 and the ASL students who

painted their visual interpretation of Wilfred Owen’s war poem Dulce et Decorum Est produced a remarkable painting that interpret-

ed war as a gory event. This painting is still on the wall of my classroom.

PR: What do you intend to do with these pictures? It would be nice to see them on public display in the foyer of the admin block.

Prithee, what sayest thou to this?

CR: I consider these paintings mine as I supplied the materials to the students (acrylic paint, spray paint, paintbrushes, canvasses,

etc) so they are staying in my classroom. If there is a need to lend these to the school, I would happily put them on display in the foy-

er of the admin block for a few days.

*** The Paintings:

The painting, shown left, is by Basyirah binti Metusins of AE 5 and

her stimulus was the poem The Wedding by Moniza Alvi.

Asked why she chose this poem as the inspiration for her picture

Basyirah explained that it was because she loved the idea of travel-

ling and learning different cultures. ‘The poet explores the struggles

of migration and the difficulties of adapting to a new culture in the

poem. So I decided to try to show that on canvas,’ she added.

In fact, Basyirah’s painting, which is rich in symbolism, does a lot

more than that: the simplistic design portrays the narrator’s wish for a quiet and simple wedding; the grey road symbolises moving for-

ward in life; the yellow lines represent the hope that this new chap-

ter in her life will be good; the brown evokes the idea of the narrator

leaving home; the green trees hint at the idea that moving forward

will bring growth; the contrasting shades of purple convey the idea

that as you advance in life, the mystery of the future becomes clear-

er; while the Pakistani flag in the distance is a homage to the author

and suggests her feeling of being distant from her culture on starting

this new chapter in her life.

When it was put to Basyirah that, on a different day, she might have

chosen different lines, she readily concurred: ‘On another day, I

Basyirah’s painting: Rich in symbolism might well have chosen the lines I wanted to marry a country/take

up a river for a veil/sing in the Jinnah Gardens and, anticipating the next question, added, ‘My picture would have thus been differ-

ent — rather than a road and mountains in my original painting , I would have drawn gardens and tried to symbolise a marriage with

nature.

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WHERE LITERATURE AND ART MEET

Although it was a fun exercise, there was a deeper purpose to it than simply asking the students to paint a picture. Quizzed as to

whether she could say what exactly the purpose was, young Basyirah was ready with an answer: ‘It was to help us understand and

truly look deeper into the poems. It was only when I had started to design my canvas that I truly began to understand how difficult it

is create a work of art. This exercise definitely helped me to appreciate the poem more.’

Since reading this poem, Basyirah has been inspired to read a lot more poetry as she declared that she found it a very intriguing form

of art. Although this does not mean that she has aspirations of taking a degree in English Literature when at university, she neverthe-

less feels that reading will still play an important part in her life in the future: ‘I may not read as many poems and dramas as I did in

class but English Literature has taught me so many skills such as how to interpret literary texts and in a way I could never do on my

own. It has helped broaden my mind and look at every point of view so that now I perceive the world in a different way. I will defi-

nitely take the skills I have learnt with me through life’s adventure. Also it has made me appreciate art more deeply than I did before,

and the hard work, thought and dedication an artist has for his work.’

Our second featured artist is Ak Md Afiq Syazwan bin Pg Hj Rosli of AE 2 who chose the poem The Song of the Shirt by Thomas

Hood as the stimulus for his painting.

Talking about the poem, Ak Md Afiq explained that although it was rather

depressing he had chosen it as the song is a really powerful one. ‘The po-

em really conveys the woman’s struggle to survive and this is emphasised

by the repetition of the line In poverty, hunger and dirt.

As for his painting, Ak Md Afiq’s intention was to make it frightening and

expressed the hope that he had managed to depict the hunger and poverty

that she experiences and, in general, the miserable life that she leads.

Although written in the 19th century, Ak Md Afiq is of the opinion that it

still has great relevance for today’s society because it shows what suffering was like in those days from the perspective of the victim: ‘This perspective

is important as it can help people today learn from the past,’ he stated.

Despite the depressing nature of the poem, this has not dampened Ak Md

Afiq’s enthusiasm for wanting to read other poems by Thomas Hood such

as The Bridge of Sighs.

Like our first featured artist, a degree in English Literature is not part of

Ak Md Afiq’s plans, but he does feel that his ability to analyse texts will

Ak Md Afiq’s painting depicts hunger and poverty be invaluable in the future when it comes to defending his personal opinions.

Two more paintings by

Cikgu Rozianna’s English

Literature students:

Left: Picture by Siti Fati-

mah binti Abu Bakar, AE 7

Right: Picture by Nur Iffah

Adilah binti Idris, AE6

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