KOTA KINABALU: Having poor Internet access did not stop a primary school in Sabah’s rural Ranau district from coming out tops in a number of international innovation competitions last year.
Among the multiple accolades SK Kirokot Ranau achieved were victories by two Primary Six girls Areha Heavenea Azri and Jetty Lorrend in the World Youth Invention and Innovation Award in Indonesia.
They also won the Organisation for Creativity, Innovation and Invention Promotion held in Nigeria and the Virtual Innovation Competition UiTM Kelantan International held last year.
Their winning innovation was named Face Mask 2.0, which was made using material from plastic bottles. Areha and Jetty also won a Sirim Special Award.
The school also achieved a first for a rural primary school when it won the Teaching Professionalism Creative and Innovative Group Carnival (KIKPK) national award, beating more established schools and educational institutions in the country.
SK Kirokot teachers namely Hallsen Justin, Indro Ebin and Juhidin Jukilin won the KIKPK with their innovative interactive online mathematics game.
For the school's success in making Sabah proud, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor presented a cheque for RM10,000 for its innovation fund in a brief ceremony at Menara Kinabalu here on Tuesday (July 5).
"Congratulations to the teachers and pupils. Such achievements are not easy for a rural school facing many challenges, including connectivity.
"This is proof that with hard work and dedication, nothing is impossible," he said, adding that he was proud of the teachers and pupils of SK Kirokot.
Hajiji hoped the school would continue to bring pride to Sabah and that other schools would emulate the determination shown by its teachers and pupils.
SK Kirokot headmaster Jeffrey Siga led the group to meet the Chief Minister.
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