The SJK(C) Sin Kang alumni is emphasising life skills, sports and the arts.
Every pupil at the Air Itam school in George Town, Penang has been given a bicycle to encourage cycling, while swimming lessons have been introduced as part of the school’s extracurricular activities.
Sin Kang School Union alumni representative Datuk Sim Choo Kheng, who funded the initiatives, said the programme aimed to help pupils develop good learning habits and essential life skills.
“These days, children are under a lot of pressure and we want this to be a model school where, apart from academics, they learn life skills, sports and the arts.
“When we found out that not all of them could cycle, we gave every pupil a bicycle. Now, they can all cycle.
“Similarly, the school started free swimming classes, with pupils transported to a private pool for lessons,” he said at a press conference at the school.
He also spoke on the upcoming 120th anniversary and alumni homecoming dinner.
Sim said the alumni was working towards building a clubhouse with an Olympic-sized swimming pool for the pupils.
He hoped the RM2mil project could be completed within the next two years on land nearby owned by Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi.
“The goal is to ensure every pupil can swim,” he said.
“Education cannot depend solely on teaching staff.
"We need parents and the community to step in. This is where the alumni can play a role.
“We want to organise camps to teach pupils about road safety, integrity, cooking and other life skills, as children learn best when they are having fun.”
Sim said the school also hoped to encourage greater multi-racial enrolment to increase its intake.
“The school currently has 310 pupils. Based on current enrolment, we expect next year’s Year One intake to grow,” he said.
Sim, founder and chief executive officer of Sim Leisure Group, said to encourage outdoor activities, all pupils received free membership to his theme parks.
“The school will hold its 120th anniversary dinner ‘Reunion at Our Alma Mater, Celebrating the Sin Kang Spirit’, later this year.
“We urge former pupils to come together to celebrate and play a role in our plans to develop the school,” he said.
Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi president Khoo Boo Yeang said the association would match every RM1 raised through ticket sales for the anniversary dinner.
“The school is aiming for 70 tables at the dinner on Oct 31.”
For details on tickets, call 012-492 1707 (Angel) or 019-446 8299 (Ooi).
