A school that is ‘amazing and serene’

Hidden gem: Cikgu Aben showing the river beside the school.

KOTA KINABALU: Acres of green and the soothing sound of water gushing in the river with birds chirping in the background – this is what students and teachers of a school in Sabah get to enjoy every day.

SK Ruminding Inanam is not only located far from any town or residential area, but also lies in a humble resort-like environment.

Located some 70km from Kota Kinabalu city, the school is part of an eco-tourism site where the school building is made up of chalets built by teachers and villagers, amidst fish ponds, a river and quaint huts for visitors to relax and enjoy nature.

One of the teachers, Muhamad Haikal Sa’ari, fondly known as Cikgu Aben, said when he was transferred to the school in January this year, the first thing that came to his mind was that he wanted to retire there.

Idyllic scenery: One of the fish ponds at the school compound.

“It is so serene. This school is located in what I call a place of nature and a hidden gem,” said the 30-year-old father of three.

The Kedahan, who married a local here, said he would want to be permanently stationed at SK Ruminding until he retires.

“Can you imagine working in such a serene and peaceful place every day? It is amazing,” Cikgu Aben said.

He added that the relaxing sounds of river water flowing and birds chirping take away stress.

“We only have nine pupils, nine teachers and an office worker here,” he said.

Every day, teachers and the headmaster would fetch and send their pupils to and from school, sometimes in their four-wheel-drive vehicles and at times, on their motorcycles, said Cikgu Aben.

“It takes about an hour or so to get from the nearest village to this school and the journey is always challenging because apart from the gravel roads, we have to travel using a dirt road at the edge of a windy hill,” he said.

Prior to the pandemic, city dwellers who knew about this place through word of mouth would come to the school and stay in its chalets just to unwind.

Cikgu Aben said they must check with the district education office and other local authorities on whether the activity could be reintroduced.

He said there were several issues to be addressed such as concerns about Covid-19 spreading and how it would affect the pupils there.

The teacher, who has been in Sabah since 2016, said he had been tasked with introducing the school and its eco-tourism features on social media.