UPSR - Bahasa Inggeris: Contoh/Karangan Terpilih

This guide is to provide guidance in writing quality essay.

The topics are based on current issues that are frequently tested in the KSSR's examination.

Useful links
Selected Short Essays
Short Stories
Stories for the Beginners 
Reading Stories Book Online
Stories and eBook for Kindergarten...
Basic Conversation Skills
More references...

About Myself

My name is Shafiqah. I am in Year Six. I am studying in SK Sepang, Selangor.

On weekdays, I get up early in the morning and go to school. I learn many things at school.

In the evening, I play with my friends. We play in the park. Sometimes we jog too.

I am a happy girl. I make my teachers happy too. I always do my homework. I make my parents happy by studying hard and make them proud.

I am glad to be myself.

Carlos - My Little Brother

My name is Suzanna. I have a brother. His name is Carlos. Carlos is a cute boy.

Carlos is in Year One. He studies in the same school as me. He is good in Mathematics but not in English. He tries his best to improve.

Carlos loves to play with his toys. He likes to share them with his friends. Mother always buys toys for him. He takes good care of his toys.

My brother, Carlos is a kind-hearted boy. Sometimes, he helps his classmates by buying them food and helping them with their homework. I love him very much.

My Dream

I always wanted to be a runner. I usually take part in the running events for my School Annual Sports.

My teachers too feel happy to see me running. 1 usually win.

They call me Usain Bolt because I can run fast. Usain Bolt is a famous sprinter from Jamaica. I adore him and always surf the internet to read about him.

I hope one day I can be a world known runner and an Olympic Champion. I hope my dream will come true.

My Dearest Mum

Hi, I am Sally Tan. I come from a small family. There are four members in my family.

We have a beautiful mother. She is Mrs. Tan. She is very slim and pretty.

My mother likes to bake cakes and cookies. She likes to bake cakes for tea. She also sells the cakes and cookies to our neighbours.

We enjoy eating her cakes very much. She prepares a well balanced food for lunch and dinner. Father loves her cooking. She always serves food with a smiling face.

I love my mother very much.

  

My Father

Hello, I am Fuad. My father’s name is En. Ramly.

My father is a policeman. He works in the police - station. He catches thieves and works hard to upkeep law and order.

He is a good man. He likes to play with me. He plays football with my friends and me.

Sometimes, he is strict. He checks my books and helps with my homework. He wants me to be a good and a well-behaved boy. He wants me to be successful in life.

I love my father very much. He loves me too. I make sure I study hard and make my father proud of me.

My Grandmother

My grandmother is sixty years old. She is thin but strong. She is a pretty and loving lady.

My grandmother is an active person. She does all the housework. She takes care of me. She always keeps me clean and teaches me good manners.

I like my grandmother because she always helps me with my school-projects. She buys many things for me too.

She is my best friend too. I always share my stories with her. I always pray that God gives her a healthy life.

My Family

My name is Husna. I come from an average family. I have two siblings. We study in the same school. We go to school by bus.

My mother is a teacher and my dad is a health inspector.

My mum and dad are a loving couple. They do not argue with one another. My mother does the household chores without grumbling. Whereas, my dad settles the utility bills and sends us for our tuition classes. We go outing on weekends.

We are a happy family. We believe in respecting each other.

My Neighbour

My neighbour is Ramesh. He is from Sabah. He is nine years old.

Ramesh likes drawing very much. He can draw beautiful pictures. He likes to take part in art competitions.

Ramesh’s mother is a nurse. She is a kind lady. Ramesh’s father is a fireman. He is a brave man.

I like them very much.

My Beautiful Pet

I am Hazril. I have a pet. It is a Minah. I call it Princess.

Princess is very talkative. It wakes me up in the morning by saying “Good Morning”.

When I come back from school, it likes to say, “Homework”. So I never miss doing my homework.

I feed it with nuts. It lives in a special cage.

I love Princess. It is a good friend to me.

My Beautiful Cat

Hello, I am Lucy. I have a pet. It is a cat.

I call it Fanny.

Fancy is a fat cat. It eats fish everyday. It loves to play too.

My pet, Fanny, catches rats at night. Though it is fat, it is very active.

I love Fancy very much because it does not make me bored. I am always busy with Fanny.

On weekends, I will bathe her and clean her ears and paws.
Fancy is a healthy pet.

My House

Hey, this is my house. It is a terrace house.

I have many neighbours. Our houses are all in a row. My house is painted brown. It has three rooms and a porch.

My house is big. We sit together to watch the television in the hall.

At the dining hall, we gather to have food. My mum’s favourite place is the kitchen. She likes to cook there.

I like my house very much. I will keep it clean always. My sister and I take turn to sweep and mop the house.

My mum will always wash the porch and the kitchen, for these two places are dirtied easily. We like our house very much.

My Favourite Game

My name is Shalu. I am in Year 3.1 spend my free time playing my favourite game.

Word games are always my favourite. They can make me go crazy. I always play in the evening with me sister, Sheela.

Word games help me to build my vocabulary. They help me to spell words correctly.

I enjoy playing them.

My Favourite Game At School

I am Abdul Ziyad. I am 8 years old. Do you know that I go to school early on Tuesday mornings? It is for the Chess Club meetings.

During the meetings, I play at least 3 sets of games. I play with the club members.

Sometimes I win but sometimes I don’t. When I lose in a game, I do not feel sad. Instead, I try to improve and play better.

I am glad to be a chess player.

My Father's Car

My father has a car. It is a Proton Perdana. It is long and spacious.

Proton Perdana is a very comfortable car for driving. My father says that it is the best car he had ever driven.

On weekends, we go for a long journey in our car.

We never feel tired travelling in our Proton Perdana. When I grow up, I will buy the latest Proton Perdana.

Dola’s Laptop

I am Dola. I am in year two. I have a laptop. It has a name, ‘ACER’.

My father gave it to me on my birthday. It is a red laptop.

I use it to play games. I use it to chat with my friends and to learn and read.

I like my laptop. I take good care of my laptop.

My Birthday Gift

Hi! I am Suzan. I have a new bicycle. Its name is BMX3.

My bicycle is a birthday gift. It is blue with a red handlebar.

It has two wheels and a small basket. I take care of my bicycle very well.

I always cycle around my neighbourhood.

My Hobby

My hobby is playing the piano. My mum bought a piano last year. It is a new piano, named ‘YAMAHA’.

I enjoy playing the piano whenever I am free.

My good friend, Afiza has the same hobby too. We practise playing the piano together.

I can tune to songs like ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and ‘Five Hundred Miles’. I enjoy playing the piano.

I want to be a famous pianist when I grow up.

My Computer

I have a computer. It is a Samsung computer. It has a flat screen.

I do a lot of work with my computer. I use the computer to complete my school projects and folios.

My computer is very helpful. It gives me colourful pictures to attach to my folios. Sometimes, I play games on it. It makes me happy.

I like my computer very much. I take good care of it.

  

My Dictionary

I have a dictionary. Its name is Oxford English Dictionary. It has many pages and there are colourful pictures in it.

It is suitable for children of my age. I use it often. I use it to search new words and their meanings.

When I write stories, I need to know many new words. I get them from this dictionary. My teachers usually praise me for my choice of words.

All my friends have English dictionaries to improve their vocabulary. Using the dictionary is fun!

My Toys

My name is Kumasegaran. I have many toys. They are all from various countries. Father brings home toys whenever he goes overseas for business trips.

Some are cheap and some are expensive. Some are big and some are small. Some are new and some are old. I even have a robotic doll which can walk and talk.

All my toys are kept in my bedroom. There is a special shelf to display them.

I like to play with my toys whenever I am free. My neighbours, Julia and Tan come to my house to play with the toys too.

We do not fight with one another but we play together.

My School Canteen Day

Last Tuesday was my School Canteen Day. There were many stalls set up at the parking area in the school.

I bought some coupons at the booth. I bought food like nasi lemak, fried noodles and sweet drinks for my siblings and parents.

My friends bought buns, chicken rice and sweet corn.

We enjoyed the food, it was indeed a very happy day.

Farah’s School Sports Day

Farah is studying in SK Kampung Bistari. Last Wednesday was Sports Day. All the pupils were excited.

Most of the pupils took part in many events. Farah took part in the running in the sack event.

Her group won the first prize. They received hampers and trophies.

Soh Keng took part in the 4 x 4 relay race. She won the second prize.

The Red House scored the highest points and was the Champion for 2016.

Prize Giving Day

Hi, I am Peter Wong. My school is SK Sri Cerah. Yesterday was the Prize Giving Day.

Those who got straight A’s were awarded with certificates and trophies.

The pupils involved came with their parents. Their parents went up to the stage with their children and collected the award.

We were happy to celebrate the day. It motivated us to work hard and produce good results in the approaching examination.

Suhaimi

Suhaimi is in Year 5 Melur. His classroom is on the 2nd floor.

It has 30 desks and 30 chairs for the pupils. There is a cushioned chair and a big table for the teachers. There are two bookshelves for the pupils to arrange their books.

At the back of the classroom there are several notice boards and a reading corner.

Suhaimi’s classroom is always neat and tidy. Suhaimi and his friends like to keep their classroom clean.

My School Library

There is a library in my school. It is on the first floor. It is next to the office.

Many pupils go there to read books, newspapers and magazines.

It is fully air - conditioned. It has many tables and chairs.

There are many librarians on duty. They take care of the books. They clean the library and arrange the books neatly on the shelves.

I like my library.

My School Field

My school is SK Sungai Besar. It is an average - sized school. There are about six hundred pupils and teachers in this school.

It has a big field. Most of the time the boys play football there.

The other half of the field is used by the girls to play netball. Miss Messa is our netball trainer. She is very strict.

Many competitions are held at our school field. Last week, the District Netball and Football competition were held here.

After the competition, we usually clean the field. The school cleaners help us to keep our field clean.

The Internet

The Internet is used by most people all over the world. We can the use internet to surf for information and entertainment. We can also gain knowledge by surfing the internet.

Younger children can use the internet to play games. They can use their leisure time wisely.

We can also use the internet to buy things online. We can save time by buying things online.

Everyone enjoy themselves surfing the internet.

My Neighbourhood

I live at Kelana Jaya in Selangor.

I live in a flat. My house is on the 12th floor. There are neighbours of different races living here. They are Malays, Chinese and Indians.

In my surroundings, there are many clinics, shops and hotels. There is an old market too. On Sundays, many people go to the market. The nearby roads are also full of ears.

There are primary schools and private kindergardens in my neighbourhood.

It is a busy area.

Melvin - My Best Friend

My best friend is Melvin. Melvin is in the same class as me. He is a very kind boy. He likes to share his things with me and other friends.

Melvin is very good at Mathematics. He always scores well in Mathematics but is weak in Bahasa Malaysia.

Both of us love to play online games. We like to play, ‘Angry Bird’ and Temple Run’ very much.

On weekends, we attend tuition classes together. Our tuition teacher is Puan Khaini.

I like my friend, Melvin.

My Hometown

My hometown is Penang. It is a very busy and beautiful island.

There are many foreigners here. Some come here to work and some come to visit.

There are many kinds of restaurants here. They sell many types of food. The most famous food here is ‘Char Koew Tiaw’ Gurney Drive is famous for its varieties of local food like ‘Pasembor’.

In Penang Island, we can see many historical buildings. They are the Penang Museum, Fort Cornwallis and many others.

There are many happenings here. So, it is always exciting to watch them. I love my hometown, Penang very much.

The State of Perak

I am Izham. I am from Perak. Perak is the second largest state in Peninsular Malaysia.

Its capital city is Ipoh. I live in Ipoh. It is a busy town. There are many shopping malls, offices, educational centres and recreational parts here.

There are some important places to be visited here like the Kelly’s Castle, Taiping Safari Zoo, Gua Tempurung and the Lost World of Tambun.

Many tourists come here to visit these places. They snap a lot of photographs and buy plenty of souvenirs from here.

Perak produces the best ground nuts in Malaysia. They taste the best. Perak grown bean sprouts are also famous and mostly bought by hawkers to prepare ‘fried koew tiaw’.

A Visit to the State of Kelantan

During the last semester holidays, Nora visited her grandparents in Kelantan. She travelled by train from Bukit Mertajam to Kuala Krai.

Nora’s grandparents were at the railway station to welcome Nora and her parents.

Nora stayed in the fishing village for a day, then she followed her grandfather to the ‘batik’ factory. She saw how materials were printed. She was amazed and excited. She was also given a chance to print.

Lastly, she and her relatives had a gathering at Cahaya Bulan Resort. They swam in the beach and enjoyed the barbecued seafood there.

Nora enjoyed her holidays very much. She plans to visit Kelantan again during the final school holidays.

A Holiday in Genting Highlands

Last weekend, Kok Wei went to Genting Highlands. He went there with his aunt. They travelled by bus.

The road to Genting Highland was winding, Kok Wei did not like it.

When he reached the theme park, he was truly amazed with the games offered there. He went on the roller-coaster and screamed loudly while it moved swiftly.

He was thrilled to go round the gigantic wheels. His aunty shivered while riding the roller coaster.

They, they took a rest. They were scared and promised themselves not to ride the roller - coaster again.

Kok Wei and his aunt took their dinner at a nearby restaurant and started back home. While driving back home, they enjoyed the cool climate.

Maya's trip to Langkawi Island

Maya’s family went on a vacation to Langkawi Island in Kedah.

Maya’s father drove to the jetty at Kuala Kedah. He bought 5 tickets for his family to get into a ferry.

When they reached Langkawi Island, they booked a hotel. They went shopping and island hopping. She was happy to see the eagles being fed at a particular spot.

Maya bought lots of chocolates and souvenirs for her neighbours and friends. She was very happy being there.

Maya enjoyed the trip.

A Visit to the State of Melaka

Last December, Izana visited her uncle in Malacca. She stayed there for a week.

Her uncle took her to visit many historical places. They visited A’

Famosa’, an old fort. They also visited the Malacca Museum.

Izana climbed the St. Francis Hill with her cousins. She also had a chance to have a ride on a trishaw around Malacca town.

She plans to visit Malacca again during the school holidays. She wants to visit the Butterfly Park and the Crocodile Farm.

She enjoys her trip very much.

A Visit To Taiping, Perak

Last Saturday, my class visited Taiping. There were thirty pupils for the trip.

We visited the Taiping Zoo. It is the oldest zoo. I saw many kinds of animals there.

Next, we went to the Lake Gardens. The lake looked beautiful. We played games at the lake.

Finally, we went to the museum. We saw many interesting old things there.

I was very happy and excited on this trip.

Dr Kumar’s Clinic

Mr. Kumar is a doctor. He has a clinic in my town. He is a famous doctor.

He treats patients with love and care.

He charges them reasonable rates. His medicine cures sickness quickly.

Dr. Kumar talks to people softly. Many patients queue up at his clinic to get treated.

His nurses and attendants are also kind and soft in their conversation with the patients.

It is closed on public holidays but on other days it is opened from q a.m. - 5 p.m.

A Walk In The Jungle

My science teacher, Mr. Lim took us for a walk in the jungle last Monday.

On our way, we saw many types of plants, insects and animals.

We also saw many types of trees. They had different shapes of leaves.

My friends and I went near the anthills. We saw how the ants worked together to build their nests.

Lastly, we snapped some photos and returned home happily.

Darhan’s New Watch

Darhan got a watch from his dad. His dad gave it as a gift on his birthday.

Farhan is very proud of his new watch. He shows it to all his friends.

Darhan uses his new watch to school everyday. His friends admire his watch because it is unique.

He always keeps it in its special box. He takes good care of it and his father too feels happy to have bought a watch for Darhan.

He loves his watch very much. He promised to take good care of it.

Barbara’s Bakery

Miss Barbara is a baker. She has a bakery in town.

She opens it at 10.00 a.m. and closes it at 8.00 p.m. She sells all kinds of bread, muffins and cakes.

She sells pizza, buns and birthday cakes the most. She makes good profit on Sundays.

Miss Barbara is helped by two assistants who are skilled in baking too. Many people come to buy from her shop because the items are sold at reasonable prices.

She enjoys her career as a baker.

Mr Razak’s Restaurant

Mr. Razak is a restaurant owner. He sells Malay food during lunch time. He has many workers to prepare varieties of food.

Mr. Razak opens his shop on all days except Tuesdays. Everyday he changes his menu. His customers are of all races. They love the hot and spicy food served at the restaurant.

His restaurant is always clean and neat. His workers are very polite

to the customers.

He welcomes all his customers with a wide broadsmile. He charges them reasonably.

En. Razak has many faithful customers.

Jya’s Laundry

Jya is a washer woman. She has a self service laundry near the factories. Many officers and workers bring their dirty clothes to her shop to be washed.

Jya has twenty washing machines. They are automatic machines. Jya’s customers insert coins into the machines and press the buttons to wash the clothes.

She is always helpful to the customers. She helps them to pack their clothes neatly.

Jya’s customers keep coming to the laundry as she is a very cheerful person.

The Post Office

Yesterday, Zuraidah followed her mum to the post office. Many counters were opened for service.

Zuraidah and her mum queued up at the first counter to send a parcel to her friend in Japan. They brought the parcel well wrapped using brown paper. Her mum wrote the correct address on it. She gave it to the officer who was in-charge. He weighed it and told her the amount for the postage.

Zuraidah was happy to see the various kinds of services being offered there. She saw some

buying stamps, some paying their utility bills and some saving money in their accounts.

Her mother bought a stamp and pasted it on the parcel. Then, she gave it to the officer. The officer put it in a special trolley.

They went back home happily.

Hari Raya Puasa

Akmal is a Malay boy. He celebrates Hari Raya Puasa.

Before Hari Raya Puasa, Akmal fasts for a month during the month of Ramadhan.

On Hari Raya Day, he gets up early in the morning, he cleans himself and puts on his new clothes. Then, he follows his father to the mosque.

When they return home, they prepare themselves to serve their guests with ketupat, chicken rendang and other delicacies.

Hari Raya is a day to see all relatives and friends.

Chinese New Year

Lin Xze is a Chinese girl.

Every year she celebrates Chinese New Year which falls in the month of January or February.

Before the festival, Lin Xze helps her family to clean her house. They also do shopping to buy new clothes for their family members. Some would also buy new furniture.

On this day, all friends and relatives who visit Lin Xze usually give her red packets called “angpow” with money in them. Lin Xze feels excited to get a lot of red packets.

In the evening, her family members will have dinner together. After that, she plays fire crackers with her siblings.

She enjoys herself during this celebration.

Alex Celebrates Christmas

Alex is a Christian boy. He celebrates Christmas in December. It falls on 25^th of December each year.

His parents would decorate a Christmas tree and leave it in the hall.

On Christmas eve, he goes to the church with his parents. Later in the night, he would unwrap the parcels given to him by his parents.

Alex loves to eat grilled turkey with ghee rice which his mother prepares.

After lunch, he will be busy chatting with his friends and sending them wishes and greetings.

Alex is always very happy on this day.

Deepavali

Arun is a Hindu boy. He celebrates Deepavali.

His mother and sister will prepare ‘muruku’ and other traditional cakes.

Arun will help his mother to clean the house and put up new curtains.

On Deepavali day, he wears new traditional clothes and follows his family to p^ay in a temple.

He likes Deepavali because he can have many visitors in his house. Arun’s mother serves ‘thosai’ and chicken curry to their visitors.

Arun is also helpful for he helps his mother to clean the house if it is messy on this day.

Usually Arun is very excited on this day.

Shila's Birthday

Last Sunday, Shila celebrated her birthday. She went to a temple in the morning. Then, she had a great breakfast.

In the afternoon, Shila’s parents arranged a surprise birthday party. They invited all her classmates.

Her friends sang the Birthday song and Shila cut the cake.

After cutting the birthday cake, they played some games and ate the varieties of food prepared by Shila’s mother.

Later, after her friends went back home, she opened the gifts. She was very happy with the gifts.

She showed them to her close friends, Naza and Rose the next day. They felt happy for Shila.

Local Fruits

There are many types of local fruits. Some are seasonal and some are non - seasonal.

The seasonal fruits are durians, mangosteens, rambutans and the non-seasonal ones are bananas, pineapples and water-melons.

Our local fruits are cheap compared to imported fruits. They give us health benefits if we include them in our daily diet.

I love to eat our local fruits.

Zura, A Poor Girl

Zura lives in a small village with her mother and two siblings. Her father died when she was six years old. Her family is a poor family.

Every morning Zura walks to school with her siblings who are younger than her.

Sometimes Zura could not go to school on rainy days because she does not have umbrellas or raincoats. She stays at home and helps her mother to sell nasi lemak.

Zura never grumbles or complains. She accepts her life as it is.

Lalitha, A Quick Thinker

Lalitha is in Year 3. She is the only girl in her family. Most of the time, she stays with her blind grandmother.

One day, a thief entered her house. Her blind grandmother was talking to him. Lalitha knew she was talking to a bad person. She saw the man was searching for something in her house.

She quickly let go her goose. The goose ran straight to the hall and attacked the thief.

Lalitha was happy to see the thief running away. She hugged the goose and thanked it.

The Noisiest Day

The noisiest day in my life was when we, the pupils of Year 3 gathered to celebrate our class party.

We had lots of games and food. We burst lots of balloons to become the winners. Our team cheered loudly, jumped and shouted our names out.

In the end, we played water bombs. We filled the balloons with water. We burst the balloons to splash the water on our friends. We ran helter skelter shouting away.

It was the noisiest day in my life.

The Saddest Day in My Life

The saddest day of my life is the day when my pet dog, Jolly was hit by a car.

It ran out of my house chasing a cat. It dislikes seeing cats. The cat ran across the road opposite our house. Jolly chased it angrily.

It did not see a speeding car. It hit him. Jolly was thrown up. It fell heavily onto the road and was breathless.

It was dead. That was the end of my pet. My brother buried it in our garden. I always feel sad and cry when I think of dear Jolly.

A Toothache

The dentist checked and said that her teeth had decayed. The dentist told that her tooth had to be extracted. Noriah was afraid but she had to face the music. The dentist gave her a jab and after ten minutes, he extracted her tooth.

Noriah cried but it was of no use. She learned a very good lesson for not being obedient. From that day onwards. She does not eat much sweets and brushes her teeth in the morning and at night before going to bed.

Noriah loves to eat sweets and chocolates. Even though her mother scold her, she still insists on eating sweets.

Last week,

Noriah suffered from a terrible toothache. Her mother gave her a pain killer but it did not relieve her pain. So, she brought her to the dentist.

Our Breakfast Time

Usually on Saturdays and Sundays we have breakfast together at about eight in the morning.

Mother prepares oats for our breakfast. Sometimes she prepares bread with butter or bread with half - boiled eggs.

Dad and I enjoy our breakfast. Before having our breakfast we say our prayers.

After breakfast, we will help mother to clean the kitchen. Father will help mother to cut the vegetables and fish for lunch.

A Letter To A Friend

7, Jalan Satu, Taman Indah,

56000 Kuala Lumpur,

 20 June 2015

Dear John,

How are you? I hope you are fine. I am fine too. I am writing this letter to let you know that I am attending a swimming course during these holidays.

It is a ten day course. 1 shall learn all the 4 strokes of swimming. It is thrice a week from 9:00 - 11.30 a.m. The coaches are also very friendly.

If you are interested, you can also do so. Please talk to your parents. I hope they allow you to join me.

See you then!

Your friend,

Peter

A Letter To A Friend On Buying A gift

No 17, Jalan Mas,

Taman Cantik,

70000 Seremban,

22 July 2016

Dear Kelvin,

How are you? I hope you are fine. Do you know that Katherine is celebrating her tenth birthday on 14 March?

So, we have decided to buy her a mini-compo. Zara, Liana, Jason, Wenny and I have decided to pay RM20 each. Do you want to chip in some money, perhaps RM20?

If you want, meet me at Parkoon Corner at 10.00 a.m. on Sunday, 10th of March. We can go shopping together. Both of us can make a good choice.

See you, Bye.

Your friend,

Hana

I Am A Smartphone

My name is Blurberry. I am a smartphone.

I was made in England.

One day I was brought to Ampang City Store. A young man bought me. He liked me very much.

He felt proud to show my talents to his friends. He took good care of me.

After a few months, an incident happened.

It was a terrible incident. My master went on a canoeing trip. When the boat capsized. I slipped and fell into the river.

I am still lying helpsessly on the river bed. Please help me. I want to live like before.

I Am A School Bus

My name is Mercedes. I am a school bus. I am yellow in colour. My job is to send children to school and fetch them home.

Mr. Lim is my owner. He gives me a rest on Sundays. He services me very often and make sure that I am in good condition.

I am well taken care of. I like Mr. Lim very much because he keeps me clean. I do not like some of the school children because they like to jump and litter me.

Anyway, I am happy to be a school bus.

I Am A Rose Plant

I am a rose plant. My flowers are big and red. I have little sharp thorns on my stem.

I am planted in the garden of a big mansion which belongs to Dr. Kumar.

I have many friends there. The gardener takes good care of me. He waters me daily. He makes sure I am healthy.

Dr Kumar’s wife always talks with me. Sometimes she plucks my flowers and places it in her long hair.

I feel happy as I am taken good care of.

I Am A Refrigerator

I am a refrigerator. My name is Tashoba. My model number is XI24. I am big and sweet blue in colour.

My owner is Cik Rozita.

She is a good cook but a messy person.

She loves to buy many things and simply chucks them inside me. When she wants to cook she will search for the things high and low.

Her maid cleans me once a week. It is alright for me to live with Cik Rozita.

A Landslide

Last week after a heavy rain at Taman Kencana, many trees were uprooted. Many potholes were seen on the roads.

Yesterday, there was a landslide. Before the landslide occurred, there was a loud crash. The residents ran out to see what was happening. They saw rubble and soil come crashing down from the nearby hill.

Few cars were damaged. Some houses nearby the landslide area were damaged too.

Some of them quickly grabbed their children and ran out of their homes for safety.

A Flood

It was raining for a week. The residents of Taman Meranti were very worried. They started to pack their things and valuables.

Soon, there was an announcement. The water level kept rising in the neighbourhood of Taman Meranti. The rescue department sent rescue boats to help the people there.

The people were happy to see the boats. They got onto them with some of their valuables.

They were sent to a relief centre at SK Taman Meranti. They were given clothing and food.

Essays Writing
General Guidelines

How to excel in your essay writing or examination?

Many students find it difficult to write a flawless essay.

However, with sheer persistence, constant practice in writing essays and a passion to learn and master the English language you can develop your skills in writing.

There is a no short cut to master the language.

Read, listen and speak English every day.

When you read you will develop a wide range of vocabulary.

Study how words are used and use a dictionary to learn the meaning of new words.

Reading and having a good vocabulary are not enough for you to write a good essay.

You must have a solid foundation in grammar as well.

Difficult topics require difficult techniques.

For example, if you are writing a formal letter, it is different from writing an informal letter.

The language in a formal letter is serious, whereas, in an informal letter it is friendly.

It is therefore, imperative to master the techniques of writing the different types of essays.

Writing a good and flawless essay comes with constant practice.

You need to work on it diligently.

These are the seven stages for writing a good essay:

Brainstorming

Organising and developing the outlines

Drafting

Revising

Editing

Proofreading
The final draft

Selected Essays

Watching out For Bullies

If your child becomes uncharacteristically quiet or starts retreating into a corner to be alone, he or she may be experiencing trauma.

CHILDREN are often too shy to tell their parents that they are being bullied because being a victim can be a shameful experience.

Bullying also comes in many forms, so when it does not directly involve hitting or shoving, kids sometimes do not realise they are being bullied.

Bullying includes name-calling, hounding someone continuously, spreading nasty gossip, purposefully leaving someone out of events and refusing to speak to him.

Speaking to your child often about his or her friends at school can help pinpoint what is going on. With little ones, however, communication can be difficult, so here are some other signs to look out for.

Too quiet - Some people withdraw when they are frightened or depressed. If your child becomes uncharacteristically quiet or develops a habit of going off to be alone in a comer, he or she may be experiencing trauma.

Too sleepy - Depression can cause sleepiness and can also be a way for your child to try and avoid going to school by “oversleeping”.

Too bratty - Children often have naughty phases, but sometimes they act out because they feel miserable but do not know how to express their feelings.

Illnesses - Bullying can end in bruises and grazes, so look out for those. In other cases, they can bring on headaches, stomach aches and rashes.

Too few friends - Children have a social life too. Check to see how other kids in class mingle so that you have a baseline.

If your child is falling too far below the normal level, it may mean that he is being isolated by bullies.

A drop in grades - Bullying has a dreadful effect on the mind and you may see your child experiencing falling marks, extra forgetfulness and unusual clumsiness.

It could be growing pains too, but do keep the other possible reason in mind.

Adapted from TheStar/PositiveParenting/Thursday, 24 November 2016

House Chores Made Fun

Harness your children's imagination and turn simple tasks

IN some families, children have just one task: to study. However, the danger of this is that they may lack the skills to cook a simple meal or wash their own socks once they go off to college.

This can be an expensive problem.

As such, it helps to have your children learning simple household tasks. The easiest way is to start them young and to make it as hassle-free as possible.

To make the process as fun as possible, harness their imagination and turn simple tasks into fun activities.

Mix and match sock laundry

Put out a pile of clean socks and have the kids play Snap by picking matching socks.

For older kids, have them fold T-shirts and pile everything into the cupboard or drawer according to colour.

If you have competitive children, you might want to engage them in timed folding games. This way, they get to have fun and at the same time learn the importance of being neat.

Have an achievement chart on hand

Children love to see their own progress as much as we do and there is nothing that shows achievement better than a chart with gold and silver stars.

Ensure that your children get points for tidying, setting the table, washing their own cup and dusting.

You could also set a rule that for every 10 points gained, the child is allowed a treat such as deciding what the family will eat for a weekend treat.

Go toy-sized

Small fingers cannot handle grown-up things easily, so make house chores simple by buying small dusters or toy brooms for them.

Then play games where the children pretend to have superpowers and must deal with naughty volcanoes that have erupted toys all over the bedroom floor, or keep it real and be butlers and hotel workers.

Adapted from TheStar/PositiveParenting/Thursday, 24 November 2016

My Hero

By Nur’ain Zainuddin

Adapted from TheStar/Heart&Soul/Sunday, 30 October 2016

MY father, Zainuddin Abdul Ghani, is a regular reader of The Star newspaper. Every Sunday, he buys the newspaper and stores “Heart & Soul” the section.

Even back in my teenage years, when I was at boarding school, he would save the section for me to read. According to him, this was a good read.

As it was my father’s birthday recently, instead of writing this on a piece of paper or sending him the usual WhatsApp message, I am taking the opportunity to express my words here, in one of his favourite sections of the paper, so the whole world will know how spe­cial my father is to me.

Throughout my schooling years, my father has always reminded me that education is ever so important. He spent much of his money on my tuition fees from primary school right up to university.

I still remember every time I called him up on the phone, he would say: “Make sure you get a CGPA7GPA of 3.50 and above. Don’t waste Father’s money!”

Because of his push, I worked hard to achieve the best results in every examination to prove that I could do it.

With God’s grace, I managed to graduate with a CGPA/GPA above 3.50! It was a proud moment for me to finally fulfil father’s wishes, and to see his happy reaction when he received my result slip.

Now, I am currently working in Bangi, which is quite far from where we live. Since I dont have a driver’s licence yet, it is father who drives me to work and comes to pick me up in the evenings, driving to and fro, from Kuala Lumpur to Bangi, every day.

Although I may have been stubborn at times while growing up, I know that if not for my father’s strict rules and for the way he has brought me up, I would not be where I am today.

I know that those actions have made me a more hardworking and disciplined person. He has shaped me to become a good person.

My father made many sacrifices for our fami­ly and I will always appreciate what he has done.

He also set a good example, one that I will try to follow. Till this day, I still turn to him for advice and guidance, and he never fails me.

When I look at how far I have come, I cannot ask for anything more from God. I have a great father and a loving family. There is this realisa­tion that I am just another human being who has been given so much. I thank Allah Subhanahu Wataala for His blessings.

Thank you Father, for everything that you have sacrificed for me and the whole family. No words can ever be enough to show my love for you. There can never a daughter who loves her father more than I love you.

To the best father in the world, this one’s for you. I hope you had a happy birthday!

From Star2: Happy Birthday Zainuddin Abdul Ghani!

Varsity’s Record Achievements

Students from HELP score a record 17 First Class Honours in the exams.

TheStar/Campus/Sunday, 30 October 2016

HELP has delivered the University of London’s International Programmes (ULIP) for over 30 years with distinction and record­ed many notable achievements.

It has consistently produced First Class Honours graduates every year.

In the 2106 exams, an unprece­dented 17 First Class Honours results were attained by students from the two ULIP centres of the HELP Group - 11 from HELP Academy (HA) and six from HELP College of Arts and Technology (HELP CAT).

This places the HELP Group among the best ULIP teaching cen­tres in the world and reaffirms its strength as a centre of educational excellence in the Asia Pacific.

The five First Class Honours stu­dents from HELP CAT are Ong Ken Lip, Nai Sin Hong, Toh Yik Hon, Roselyn Chai, Ong Tiek Huey. The sixth student, Low Chang Song, obtained his First Class Honours in Economics at the LSE where he had been admitted after his first year at HELP CAT.

The 11 First Class achievers at HA are Seng Rou Lin, Ng Teik Man, Ham Ji Eun, Johann Oh Hock Seng, Gew Ee Von, Hannah Tan Hui Em, Ling Hui Yee, Oh Chai Woon, Chua Wei Zhen, Shabeen Ibrahim and Tessa Phang Shyn Li.

These excellent results prompted an elated response from Dr Mary Stiasny, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) of the University of London, who wrote to HELP say­ing: “Seventeen First Class Awards is a stupendous outcome...all of us at the University of London International Programmes share your pride.”

“My congratulations to your stu­dents and teaching colleagues who have helped make this magnificent achievement possible,” she added.

In the 2016 exams, three HELP students also scored the highest marks in the world in specific sub­jects in the ULIP exams, beating students from ULIP centres around the world.

These scores elicited another round of compliments to HELP from Dr John Ferra, Deputy Director of the University of London International Programmes at LSE saying that these are truly amazing achievements.

“This is a resounding endorse­ment of the high quality teaching undertaken at HELP Academy and HELP CAT.

“Please convey this news to the relevant teaching staff whom I’m sure will be delighted to know,” he added.

Most of this year’s 17 First Class results are in the Accounting and Finance pathway. This places their Bachelor of Science (Accounting & Finance) degree among the best Accounting & Finance qualifica­tions in the world, as the London School of Economics is placed fourth in the world for Accounting and Finance by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016, ahead of the universities of Oxford, Chicago and Cambridge.

The latest round of excellent results places the HELP Group among the best ULIP teaching cen­tres in the world and reaffirms its strength as a centre of educational excellence in Asia Pacific.

Over a period of 30 years HELP’S graduates from ULIP have distin­guished themselves in many fields.

They have won scholarships for postgraduate study at too universi-

They are also serving as distin­guished academics in universities in the UK, Singapore and Australia, and hold top jobs in multinational companies and international agen­cies.

The University of London is renowned for its contributions to scholarship, research and knowl­edge. Illustrious staff and alumni of the university include four monarchs, 52 presidents or prime ministers and 74 Nobel Prize win­ners.

In 1858, the university started its International Programmes to ena­ble people who could not study on-campus in London to obtain a university degree.

Today, more than 54,000 stu­dents are studying University of London degrees in over 180 coun­tries. The university’s degrees and its reputation for academic rigour remain highly respected by employers throughout the world.

Academic direction for the uni­versity’s International Programmes is provided by the London School of Economics (LSE), an internation­al centre of academic excellence and innovation whose teaching and research is recognised world­wide as a benchmark of quality.

Both of the HELP Group’s depart­ments responsible for delivering the International Programmes, at HELP Academy and HELP College of Arts and Technology, have achieved another mark of excel­lence by being designated as Affiliate Centres by the university for providing students with an excellent level of teaching and ancillary support.

Affiliate status is the highest level of recognition awarded by the university to teaching institutions around the world.

Youth Should Live Their Dreams

Lau says that the best way for young people to ex­cel in today's globalised world is to become glob­al citizens.

TheStar/Campus/Sunday, 30 October 2016

YOUNG people should have an open mindset, stay curious, uphold integrity, collaborate rather than compete with others, and live their dreams.

In a speech titled ‘The Opportunities of Globalisation and Digital Connectivity’, SY Lau who is senior executive vice presi­dent, Tencent Holdings Company said such values are important in a world dominated by economic globalisation. Lau pointed out that as economic globalisation intensi­fies, digital globalisation “will re-shape our lives in uncountable ways and bring disruption and changes”.

“It is not just relevant to coun­tries and governments, but to every individual,” he said.

Lau who is president of Tencent Online Media Group, knows first­hand the challenges that the youths of today would face when the time comes for them to join the work­force.

He suggested that the best way for young people to excel in today’s globalised world is to become a global citizen - a human being, not defined by membership of any nation, but whose mission is to make the world a better place.

Lau was speaking at INTI International University and Colleges where he was awarded Alumnus of the Year.

He looked to his own experienc­es and recommended five path­ways to global citizenship.

The five pathways are global citi­zens reject extremism; global citi­zens are the masters of technology;global citizens lead with integrity; global citizens collaborate rather than compete and global citizens embrace authenticity.

Under the first pathway where global citizens reject extremism, Lau said in an interconnected world in which data flows freely, anyone can contribute to the for­mation of new knowledge via online socialisation.

“To be a productive global citi­zen, one needs an open mind and be able to see things through differ­ent points of view. “Open- mindedness requires critical analy­sis of the message and often requires us to leave our comfort zones to experience the unconven­tional,” he said.

Under the second pathway on global citizens are the masters of technology, Lau said technology can be imagined as an impending tidal wave.

“Either we embrace it, or we will be swept away,” he added.

“In order to be the masters of technology, we have to speak their language. This can be as direct as learning how to code. Knowledge of coding allows us to understand machines on their level.”

Lau said the third pathway on global citizens lead with integrity is where leadership is all about trust.

“Those who aspire to be leaders must possess a moral compass in order to lead a life of integrity.

“Global citizens lead with integri­ty not because they are worried that they will get cayght misbehav­ing, but because they have a responsibility to live up to,” he added.

In the fourth pathway where global citizens collaborate rather than compete, he said: “In a world of increasing globalisation, corpo­rations should no longer view each other as enemies to be defeated, but as partners working towards the same goal.”

In short, Lau said it is no longer relevant to think of rivals as com­petition, adding that everyone has their own strengths and if different individuals and groups work together, they can accomplish much more.

In the fifth pathway where glob­al citizens embrace authenticity, he said: “Instead of trying to be the next Steve Jobs, we should strive to leave our own mark.”

“In the real world as in the art world, no one wants a copy; the value is in the original,” he added.

After sharing the five pathways, Lau said that by adopting a global mindset, young people would be rewarded socially, spiritually and financially.

However, he advised them not to worship money or titles. “A reputa­tion for integrity is far more impor­tant and lasting,” he said.

Creating a Safety Culture

By Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye

TheStar/Educate/Sunday, 30 October 2016

THERE have been many accidents involving schoolchildren in recent months. Such accidents have hap­pened in school premises, on roads near the school, and while travelling to and from school.

Incidents of teachers, students and staff being injured or killed due to collapse of building struc­tures, ceiling fans, goal posts and toilets have also been reported over the years.

Recent incidents of primary school pupils dying after being hit by cars or heavy vehicles while crossing the road in front of their school should not be taken lightly, nor should fatal accidents involv­ing children riding on motorcy­cles on their way to school and back.

All relevant parties must draw up an effective action plan to ensure the safety of school chil­dren.

Safety awareness needs to be inculcated among students, teach­ers and other employees such as canteen workers, laboratory assis­tants, security guards, gardeners, cleaners and school crossing guards.

If everyone makes safety their priority, many accidents can be prevented. Through safety and health education, every school will be more capable of dealing with emergencies that might occur.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in its effort to make our schools safe places for study and work, is conducting the “OSH In School” programme to comple­ment initiatives taken by the Education Ministry to make the school a safe place for students, teachers, other staff and visitors such as parents.

The “OSH in School” pro­gramme, which has been intro­duced in a number of schools, aims to create awareness of safety and health at an early age. It is one of NIOSH’s ongoing corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects and is implemented with sponsor­ship from the corporate sector.

During a recent meeting, Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid agreed to NIOSH’s suggestion for the programme and said he would ask the minis­try’s director-general to take the necessary action.

The programme views the school as a workplace in accord­ance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1994.

A school or educational institu­tion is considered “a place of work”, therefore according to the OSHA, employers have to make schools safe and healthy places of work for teachers, students, administrative and support staff as well as visitors.

The programme aims to:

Ensure safety, health and wel­fare for those at work.

Protect the students against risk to safety and health in con­nection with the activities of per­sons at work.

Establish a safe and healthy working environment in schools including the office, laboratory, canteen, toilet, hostel, and fields.

OSH awareness in school can be promoted through OSH educa­tion, information dissemination, training and exhibitions which are NIOSH’s core activities.

The programme will help cre­ate a safety culture in schools.

Students in schools with the OSH programme will have practi­cal knowledge on which they can take with them when they join the workforce.

Schools Are Places to Learn

TheStar/Educate/Sunday, 30 October 2016

DR VISHALACHE BALAKRISHNAN Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya Post-doctoral scholar, University of Waikato, New Zealand

WHAT are becoming of our schools? Are we progressing or regressing in the world of knowl­edge and wisdom? It is a mind bog­gling question which needs every individual to reflect as we go on with our day to day activities.

When parents send their chil­dren to school, they have hopes of wanting their children to be suc­cessful, live a good life, secure a good job and the list goes on. But do they realise that the children learn so much at home and from them, the children’s’ first teachers in life. Many a time, teachers are faced with multiple situations where values brought from home needs to be unlearnt and reengi­

neered in the school.

In my years of teaching Moral Education in secondary schools, I had one issue of students using “swear” words or inappropriate phrases on their friends and even at teachers’ indirectly. I try to cre­ate awareness that using such ‘swear’ words and phrases is nei­ther acceptable nor encouraged in a social environment. Some stu­dents reflect and try to refrain from using such words at least not iivthe Moral Education class but others keep using them and tend to think that it is acceptable. When I further researched on some of my hard core students, I found that parents have been using such words and phrases on their chil­dren and now their children are using it on their friends and teach­ers.

The point I am making here is school is not just a place to learn knowledge and practice values, but also to unlearn and reengineer one’s inner values especially if such values are not appropriate for communal living and creates dis­harmony in society. It is pretty dif­ficult when the home or social environment is not supportive. It is essentially important for teachers to understand the home environ­ment that each of their students is coming from. Spending several minutes each day with each stu­dent, talking to them and under­standing their background builds a notion of trust and mutual respect.

From my years of teaching expe­rience even the most hard core stu­dents are soft and compassionate deep inside. These groups of stu­dents need the support of school and the school community to help them realise that they need to unlearn and learn again.

The process of unlearning and learning again is a lifelong skill and as students become more matured in their intellectual process, the task becomes feasible. It is the pro­cess that equips the students with the skills and knowledge to reflect and know themselves.

Nuturing Important Life Skills

The British Council has developed courses that introduce children aged five to 12 years to higher-order thinking skills.

Children need to develop higher-order thinking skills so that they can access better educational opportunities.

ONE key lesson children gain from their schooling and academic knowledge is the development of skills that will help them in their careers and future lives.

These include skills such as cultivating teamwork, positive self-esteem and the confidence to present their opinions clearly.

Such skills can help children grow into successful adults who are able to interact in the global arena and contribute to society.

To achieve this goal, it is important to take a “whole child” approach to learning.

Furthermore, it is imperative that children develop higher-order thinking skills so that they can access educational opportunities.

These skills involve the ability to analyse information and break them down into components, to evaluate or judge ideas and texts, and to use learned knowledge to create new ideas.

Instead of just memorising facts, children need to engage in higher levels of thinking to reach their full potential.

Practising these skills outside of school will give children the tools that they need to understand, infer, connect, categorise, synthesise, evaluate and apply the information they learn to find solutions to new and existing problems.

Recognising the importance of developing these skills, the British Council offers courses that enable students to succeed in both local schools as well as an international English-medium environment.

Curious children will discover how to learn and to enjoy learning. What they will need in the future is more than any specific body of knowledge. They need to know how to think critically in order to face new challenges and solve new problems.

The British Council has developed courses for primary school learners, introducing children aged five to 12 years to higher-order thinking skills.

This is in addition to essential English language skills such as writing compositions, giving presentations and conversational skills that children will need to become confident users of English.

They encourage interaction, team building and creative thinking.

Children are encouraged to develop their skills by using English confidently and fluently in an environment where they can feel safe and supported.

Secondary classes are designed to build students’ confidence and skills in speaking, reading and writing as well as to develop their academic skills to help them prepare for SPM, IGCSE and future studies.

Meanwhile, teachers are taught to deal with the specific needs of students through continuous training, development programmes and regular observations to constantly improve and deliver quality classes.

In addition to providing motivating year-round courses, the British Council is celebrating the 400th anniversary of British playwright William Shakespeare by offering holiday courses from this month until December.

Designed by its dedicated team of highly trained teachers, these courses introduce children to Shakespeare’s most famous plays in a fun, motivating and accessible way.

To find out more about the British Council’s English language courses, log on to www.britishcouncil.my/kids.

Adapted from TheStar/PositiveParenting/Thursday, 24 November 2016

Breakfast

Five tips to get your children to have breakfast during the school holidays.

HAVE you ever felt that pang of guilt in the morning when you are rushing out to work and suddenly you envision your kids going through their day on empty stomachs because you are not around to feed them? It’s not like you didn’t try to give them breakfast but all you could get from them was “I don’t want to, I am not hungry! I’m on holiday, I can eat later!” Which parent hasn’t heard this before?

Then somewhere at the back of your mind, you hear an echo of your own mother’s voice, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”.

It may be the school holidays but a good breakfast is still vital in shaping your children’s day.

Here are different scenarios and five tricks to get your kid to eat and enjoy breakfast.

Eat with them

If chaos is the best way to describe your mornings, try to take a breather.

Take a moment and sit with your kids while they are having their breakfast.

Have you ever thought about all this time wasted fighting about breakfast?

Well, don’t focus too much on trying to shovel that food down their throats any more.

Make breakfast a family session. Ask the children questions and you might even discover something you never knew about them.

Parents are role models and your kids will emulate you, so it’s important to show and teach them good habits.

MyBreakfast Study - the first comprehensive nationwide study on breakfast habits conducted by the Nutrition Society of Malaysia in 2015 - recommended that “parents should be actively involved in all efforts to promote healthy eating and active living among children.”

Breakfast rituals provide routine and structure that give children a sense of stability and security which are important for their development.

Your mornings will only get more positive.

Vary the menu

Kids like variety. If you keep on serving them the same old bowl of cereal, they will look at you like "Excuse me?? Again??” How about different kinds of food?

Sit with them over the holidays and research different cuisines, and get them to choose what they would like to try.

Keep in mind that kids lose 80% of their energy reserves during their night’s sleep, so they need to replenish it properly in order to do their absolute best throughout the day. Whatever you choose to serve them, keep it balanced and healthy.

Make breakfast fun

Put a little twist to your chil­dren’s morning by turning break­fast into a game.

Give out points to those who finish their meals, especially when they eat up what they don’t usually like, and let them accu­mulate points for prizes. They can be treats such as homemade pan­cakes or chocolate chips in straw­berry muffins.

If a cup of Milo is their favour­ite drink, how about hiding it and organising a treasure hunt, with clues and all.

Keep the prizes focused on breakfast to reinforce the impor­tance of the meal.

What better time to try this with your kids than during the school holidays. Creating a break­fast event means additional fami­ly fun time.

Indulge

If for six mornings a week, you made absolutely sure your kids ate the healthiest, most balanced breakfast possible, then indulge in a cheat day. An occasional big fry-up of turkey ham, eggs and sausages is a yummilicious treat to look forward to.

Remember to top it up with a nutritious cup of beverage so your children are ensured the full charge of energy they need for their day. It will certainly have your kids yearning and associating breakfast with treats.

Spice things up

Your work mornings are organ­ised like clockwork. Get up, get ready, breakfast and rush out of the house ... you have a set routine.

But sometimes it is good to change it up a little.

We all know that eating in the car is not ideal. But sometimes, it’s better that the kids have a good breakfast in the backseat on the way to dropping them off at their holiday camp than to send them off on an empty stomach.

What’s even better? Always pack beverages for them so they could replenish their energy and reduce their tiredness. This doesn’t make you a bad parent; it makes you a practical one.

Breakfast is essential during schooldays and holidays, so con­tinue cultivating the habit by planning each day with breakfast in mind. Make it a fun family practice for your children to look forward to, especially during the holidays. After all, fun activities aren’t so fun without sufficient energy from a good breakfast.

For more tips and breakfast ideas during this school holiday, visit: www.milo.com.my.

This article was brought to you by Milo.

Adapted from TheStar/PositiveParenting/Friday, 11 November 2016

Love of Learning

Q-dees' language programmes encourage children to expand their vocabulary and foster correct language usage in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin.

WITH almost 200 centres regionally, Q-dees has successfully prepared more than 200,000 students for school for over 25 years.

Q-dees Starters - This cutting-edge preschool programme integrates interactive learning materials to ensure children are engaged in achieving fruitful learning outcomes.

Taught thematically and phonetically, its language programmes encourage children to expand their vocabulary and foster correct language usage in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin.

Q-dees’ Hands-On Minds-On Maths Board allows children to explore concepts as they learn to count and think creatively and logically.

The science programme is designed to make science simple and stimulating as children learn how the world works.

The arts and craft programme develops their imagination while also strengthening their photographic memory and creative thinking skills.

Q-dees also prioritises the growth of fine and gross motor skills as well as good values through the Gymflex and Love to Life programmes respectively

Q-dees Scholars - These primary enrichment programmes prepare children for primary education and beyond.

The award-winning Q-dees Link and Think Methodology guides children to link logical and creative thinking, as well as accelerating intellectual and artistic developments.

It links what they learn at Q-dees Starters preschool to the next level when they start primary school.

The IQ Math programme provides a platform to conceptualise logical processes, while the International English programme is designed to instil children’s confidence in listening, reading, writing, conversing and exhibiting their English language skills through the use of interactive multimedia.

The Q-dees Hub (digital learning software) stimulates children’s interest through the use of graphics and songs while also increasing their grasp of technological advancements.

The programmes include syllabuses covered by KSSR (Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah).

Herbal Care For Hair Problems.

NEETA’S Herbal offers a safe and natural solution to combat hair problems.

A pioneer in Ayurvedic hair treatment, Neeta Gosalia has been practising herbal treatment for the past 29 years and has established many outlets worldwide.

Neeta introduced her corrective formulas after years of research on products that eradicate hair loss.

Commonly encountered hair dilemmas among clients are hair loss, premature greying, hereditary baldness, male pattern baldness, alopecia areata (also known as patchy baldness) and dandruff.

There are many reasons why people start losing hair. Research has shown that stress is a vital factor, along with a poor hair care regime, climate changes, lifestyle and diet.

Ascertaining a person’s hair type is important as it determines the type of care needed.

“Dry hair would need plenty of nourishment, specifically from the roots,” explained Neeta. “Oily hair requires a different kind of therapy.”

Hair loss falls into two categories: one distributed over the whole scalp and the other localised to certain areas of the scalp.

Other problems associated with the scalp include rashes, itchiness, pimple-like protrusions (sometimes filled with pus), dry and brittle hair, premature greying, patchy baldness and male-pattem baldness.

Hair roots require special attention as they are the hair’s life source - they determine the essential characteristics of.a person’s hair during its formation.

They are responsible for hair colour, texture, length, thickness and shine. They are also the starting point for haircare products, which are designed to bring out the best in their natural qualities.

In some cases, balding is common among male family members. This can be treated depending on the severity of the problem and whether the pores can still be activated.

A thorough consultation will provide a clear treatment path.

Neeta discusses the most common causes of hair damage and tips for healthy and lustrous hair.

As with premature greying, treatment should be done from the onset of the problem. Protein treatment, minerals and vitamin supplements are said to lessen the problem of greying, but there are more effective ways to address this issue.

It is best to know if your hair is dry, oily or a combination of both before choosing hair products.

The Internet

The Internet has rapidly spread through every aspect of our life. Has its users been wise enough to avail of its positive features to improve their quality of life or have the drawbacks exceeded the benefits?

The Internet or the World Wide Web is indeed a wonderful and amazing addition in our lives.

Its focus has always been in expanding communication and has turned our earth into a global village. Today, we can communicate in a fraction of second with a person who is sitting in any part of the world. The Internet has allowed millions of users to become highly mobile, yet still stay connected to business and loved ones. Information is probably the biggest advantage the Internet is offering. One can find any type of data on almost any kind of topic. Some assignments that teachers give require research on the Internet. Students have learnt to become autonomous 10 learners by surfing the/Internet to gather resources for their schoolwork. Many people surf the Internet for entertainment: downloading games, visiting chatrooms or just surfing the Web.

There are numerous games that may be downloaded from the Internet for free. Chatrooms are popular because users can meet new and interesting people. The Internet has been successfully used by people to find lifelong partners. Many services are now provided on the Internet such as 15 online banking, job seeking, purchasing tickets for one’s favourite movies, hotel reservations and guidance services on an array of topics engulfing every aspect of life.

Consumers are now able to shop online and do not havfi to leave their house. The best advantage is that one can compare prices on different websites to benefit from the best price. Nothing can be more amazing than the wide array of products available ranging from household needs, 20 technology, to entertainment. Shopping online has become a huge success as it allows people to save on cost and time. Just one click of the mouse on the items they want to purchase and the items are delivered to their front door.

Yet, many fear the Internet because of its dangers. One major disadvantage of the Internet is lack of privacy. Electronic messages sent over the Internet can be easily snooped and tracked, 25 revealing who is talking to whom and what they are talking about. As people surf the Internet, they are constantly giving information to websites. The collection, selling, or sharing of the information they provide online increases the chances that their information fall into wrong hands. Consequently, they become a victim of identity theft, one of the worst privacy violations with potentially devastating financial consequences. In other words, the most common Internet 30 crimes are frauds and con games. Computers catch viruses too, mainly from the Internet or through pen drives. Some of these dangerous viruses destroy the computers entire hard drive, meaning that the user can no longer access the computer.

Using the Internet for long periods of time can isolate people from family and friends. Though many develop online relationships, these virtual friends cannot replace real life socialising. Children using the Internet have become a big concern. When children talk to others online, they could actually be talking to a harmful person. There have been cases where children have been convinced to meet people they have talked with online. A child or teenager can be lured into something foolish, dangerous, or even deadly. In addition, children may also receive pornography online by mistake as pornographic sites tend to make sure they are the first sites to be listed in any search area. Thus, children come across such sites easily. The sending of unwanted emails in bulk, known as spamming, serves no purpose and unnecessarily clogs up the entire system. These emails may contain viruses that may corrupt the system and, even il they don’t cause any harm, these can be plain annoying.

Although the Internet can also create havoc, destruction and its misuse can be fatal, the advantages exceed the disadvantages. Millions of people each day benefit from using the Internet for work and pleasure.

Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites have witnessed growing popularity worldwide. Yet, can it be said that they have brought only benefits?

Social networking sites have become extremely popular among the youth as well as the professional people due to the immense freedom they provide to people who share common interests and passions. While the Internet made the world a global village, the social networking sites brought the world within the four walls. Here geographical locations are no barriers to stay in touch, they have paved the way to easier communication. People can get to know the various cultures and places while sitting at the same desk. Networking sites are platforms to interact with long lost friends, classmates, and relatives. As such, they can discuss on different topics and interests with a large number of people. It is also the most cost effective way to keep in touch with their people. They are very interactive as people can get to see their friends’ activities. These sites enable them to send and receive messages, upload photos, and videos. By joining different communities, people easily know about the latest news related to that community. The social networking sites facilitate people to procure information on any subjects from anywhere. These sites also make it easier and faster to collect information, get free expert advice on any challenge they may face related to their topic of interest.

Social networks are the best means for businessmen wishing to attract more customers. They have helped many small businesses to achieve their business targets. The professional people use these as a medium to raise their visibility, get noticed, tell about their company, service, and get more clients. There can be no better means to keep in touch with contacts around the world than by advertising in the form of banners to increase sales. When there is information about new products, special offers, or others that encourage purchase, customers react promptly.

Yet, despite the picture of bloggers happily interacting, there exists some real dangers. The absence of privacy in these sites is a major drawback for personal details can be disclosed. When we accept strangers’ friend requests, we are not very sure whether they are what they claim to be since we can’t see them face to face. There are instances where people are lured by a false image and reveal some private information which they would not have shared in normal circumstances. These in turn make them the perfect victims of crimes like theft, rape and murder. Some people are always in search of a fake identity. If they get all the personal information about someone on the Internet, they may usurp his identity for different types of illegal activities, which may cause problems in future. Information like the e-mail address, name, location, and age can be used to commit online crimes. Another cause of concern is online harassment and persecution. Since social networking sites are very poorly regulated, it can be a fertile ground for people trying to get even with their enemies. They can spread malicious rumours among one’s friends and also download and morph ones photos. There is a potential for failure of security in both personal and business contexts.

Social networks can be addictive as people play games and check for updates several times throughout the day when they really should be doing more worthwhile activities. This can lead to several health and mental complications. People become so absorbed in a virtual world that they become disconnected from socialising in the real world. Instead of real communication, people waste their free time on the Internet, losing their communication skills as online conversation is very unemotional. When put in real-world social situations, these people do not know how to behave and act.

The good news is that the pros for social networking outweigh the cons. The drawbacks of social networks can be avoided or minimised with a few healthy habits.

Poverty

Poverty is a social problem which has wide ranging repercussions. Can the problem be easily solved?

Poverty conjures up the image of people who are in need of help. Think of those thousands of vulnerable people worldwide for whom life is a daily struggle. People become poor due to rises in the cost of living which compels them to spend a greater portion of their budgets on food than rich people. As a result poor households and those near the poverty threshold are particularly vulnerable to increases in food prices. Problems of hunger, malnutrition and disease afflict the poorest in society. The failure of governments to provide essential infrastructure such as public sanitation, schools and social welfare condemn them to remain destitute. Often, children are kept from school because they are needed at home to support their family with additional income. Lack of education keeps children from obtaining jobs that would lift them and their families out of poverty. Likewise, opportunities in richer countries drive away talent which is essential to the country’s progress. Brain drain has cost the African continent a huge sum of money in the employment of 150,000 expatriate professionals annually.

Poor health and lack of affordable education severely affect production. Inadequate nutrition in childhood reduces the ability of individuals to develop their full capabilities. A deficiency in essential minerals such as iodine and iron can impair brain development. In developing countries, it is estimated that 40% of children aged 4 and younger suffer from anaemia because of insufficient iron in their diets. Similarly, alcoholism and drug abuse can condemn people to vicious poverty cycles. Infectious diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis can perpetuate poverty by diverting health and economic resources from investment and productivity. The onset of disease, such as HIV/AIDS or malaria, can result in death which can cut off a major source of income for a family or high medical cost that many impoverished families cannot afford. Natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes have devastated developing countries by destroying crops and animals. They suffer much more extensive and acute crises at the hands of natural disasters because limited financial resources slow down the construction of adequate housing, infrastructure, and mechanisms for responding to crises.

Poverty has dramatic consequences for one third of deaths are due to poverty-related causes. In total, 270 million people, most of them women and children, have died as a result of poverty over the past two decades. Those living in poverty suffer disproportionately from hunger, starvation, disease and have lower life expectancy. According to the World Health Organisation, hunger and malnutrition are the gravest threats to the world’s public health, and malnutrition is by far the biggest contributor to child mortality, present in half of all cases. Poverty increases the risk of homelessness as there are over 100 million street children worldwide. One impact of poverty is the high rate of early childbearing with all the related risks to family, health, and well-being.

Children from low income families are more prone to have a criminal behaviour, the more so if they live in a single parent family. Areas strongly affected by poverty tend to be more violent as children from disadvantaged inner cities witness serious assaults and homicide.

Studies have shown that there is a high risk of educational underachievement for children who are from low-income families. It is said that societies which have low levels of investment in the education and development of less fortunate children end up with less favourable results. They are also the ones who are less likely to perform well academically or to finish school. School truants and dropouts engage in juvenile delinquency and criminal behaviour. Poor children have a great deal less healthcare and this ultimately results in many absences from the academic year. Additionally, underprivileged children are much more likely to suffer from illnesses which could potentially restrict their focus and abilities to learn.

Poverty is a blow to human dignity and attempts at all levels must be combined to eradicate it. While the government can implement policies to reduce absolute poverty, it is also the responsibility of poor people to take an active part in improving their quality of life.

Gambling

Gambling is an activity that arouses so much passion that some have become addicted to it. But are there any solutions to the problem?

It is clear that gambling has become one of the most widespread pastimes in many countries including Mauritius and is to become even more popular as time goes by. Betting on sports, buying lotto tickets, playing poker, slot machines, or roulette are only a few of the activities in which compulsive gamblers engage. As the popularity of gambling grows, so does the number of people who become addicted to gambling. For these people, there is treatment but most do not seek it out until it is too late. Actually gambling problems cause enormous debts which can be settled only when the gambling addiction has been overcome. Gambling is often criticised for the negative impact it has on family life. Compulsive gamblers can’t control the impulse to gamble, even when they know their gambling is hurting themselves or their loved ones. Many people who struggle with gambling addiction distance themselves from their loved ones, friends and spouses. Spouses become victims of domestic violence as gamblers find in them an outlet to express their frustration. Children of compulsive gamblers are often prone to suffer abuse, as well as neglect, resulting in higher levels of tobacco, alcohol and drug use. Teens whose parents gamble too much are more inclined to follow the same trend. Gamblers become irresponsible as money spent on gambling is to the detriment of needs such as food and housing.

On a personal level, although many people gamble frequently for relaxation and enjoyment, gambling can also make people vulnerable to mental problems such as depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation. They experience shame for being so out of control. This is accompanied with loneliness due to lack of nurturing and rewarding interactions, resulting in the gambler becoming even more vulnerable to gambling addiction. Compulsive gamblers are likely to accumulate disastrous relationships, such as divorce, when the addict blames the spouse for the addiction itself. As debts build up, people turn to other sources of money such as theft, or the sale of drugs. A lot of this pressure comes from bookmakers or loan sharks people rely on for the capital to gamble with.

Yet, although the problem of gambling is multifaceted, solutions exist at different levels. Sessions with a therapist or psychologist help to identify the root of a gambling problem and the gamblers motivations. Therapy offers a safe zone where a gambler can discuss his problems openly and get the weight off his chest about lies, debts or other problems

created by pathological gambling. The gambler can turn to friends and family for help and support during recovery. By showing a willingness to change, a gambler will feel closer to his friends and family and one step closer to recovery. As gambling is always centered on money, having someone take control of the gamblers money is a practical solution. A friend or family member can legally be given control over his money in order to pay bills, eliminate access to money for the most part. It may help curb the desire to gamble long enough to get help and reduce the desire to gamble over time. The practice of sport or a challenging hobby, such as mountain biking or rock climbing can substitute the excitement provided by gambling. Most casinos offer self-exclusion lists to patrons who have lost control over their gambling. They simply tell the casino they would like to be banned from the facility.

The government and casinos promote awareness of the problem by encouraging responsible gambling. The answer is not in banning gambling but in awareness and knowledge. Gamblers are made aware that there can be healthier ways of entertainment than gambling. The best way to combat addiction is to join a group like Gamblers Anonymous for group support and talks. Conversing with people who have been through and can understand the struggle with gambling addiction or compulsion is an effective therapy.
Although gambling causes much distress, it also has more pleasing attributes. It is an important form of recreation enabling people to socialise and have a thrilling experience while contributing greatly to the economy. It has its own good, as long as it is done moderately with discipline and control.