Starchild: Why Malaysian children enjoy going to school

Chuah Seng Koon, 7

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ITEM: International Day of Forests is celebrated on March 21. It is a special day to raise awareness of forests. The theme for 2023 is “Forests and Health”. Forests are important because they keep the climate stable, absorb carbon dioxide and releas oxygen in the atmosphere. Forests are also home to millions of wildlife. Why are forests so important? Tell us some ways to save rainforests in Malaysia.

Email your contributions to [e-mail] by March 3.

Please put “STARCHILD: Forests” in the subject line of your email. Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200 dpi. Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact, and address.

Instead of handwritten letters, please type out your letters.

We all have different interests and so, you probably like some of your subjects more than others. For example, some children may enjoy English classes, while for others, it could be Science or Art.

Our topic for this week is My Favourite Subject. Here are the letters from Starchild readers.

Wong Zhi Ying, 9

Wong Zhi Ying, nine, likes English because she can use English to communicate with her friends. This subject is also very interesting to learn, she says.

“Whenever I go for my English tuition class, I always feel happy as my teacher, Auntie Cheng, makes her lessons so engrossing. She always reminds us not to be careless of the difference between British and American spellings. Reading lots of English storybooks and also the newspapers enable me to know what is happening worldwide. When I read the news, it gives the courage to talk to my friends confidently.”

Chuah Seng Koon, seven, enjoys English lessons in school too. He is comfortable speaking English because it is the most frequent language he speaks at home and in school.

“When I was a toddler, my parents would tune in to English-speaking TV children’s programmes like Thomas and Friends and Dinosaurs. As I am older, I prefer watching YouTube videos in English. Lastly, I feel that English is essential as it is a worldwide language that is being used.

Erin Chan, 10

Erin Chan, 10, loves Art lessons because she enjoys drawing and colouring. “Art is interesting because I can explore m creativity and imagination.”

Asha Thambiah, 9

“I enjoy many subjects like Bahasa Malaysia, Science and English. But I especially like Art because I can let my imagination run wild. I want to be an artist when I am older,” says nine-year-old Asha Tambiah.

In kindergarten, I learn to count, reading and write. I look forward to art and craft lessons. I like to colour and paint,” says Siti Salmah Abdullah, six.

Siti Salmah Abdullah, 11