The PFS spirit in Beijing

Faces familiar to me at the Penang international airport this morning. The boys and the two accompanying lady teachers were flying off to Beijing for the World Scholar's Cup, an international student debating competition. The three boys on the right are now studying at INTI International College in Penang, but they still have no qualms at representing PFS in this competition. The Free School spirit still runs deep within them. Fortis atque Fidelis.

The text below is adapted from an appeal letter to potential sponsors last April:

We are always seeing discussions about the state of affairs in our alma mater and how standards in Penang Free School have dropped in parallel with the education standard in Malaysia. But it may interest you to know that our energetic Headmaster has been doing many things to improve PFS standards and the education of Frees. 

One area is English. He resuscitated the Debating Society in the hope of improving the standard of English in the school. He started a Speaker’s Corner where a Club or Society is given a topic to prepare and present to the student audience monthly or on a regularly basis.

Earlier this year, the School had sent eight teams to the World Scholar’s Cup Regional Round in Penang (compared to Han Chiang Private which sent 81 teams). In any case, one team won First Place in Debate (there are a few categories) and qualified for the WSC Global Round in Beijing together with another Free School team. This Global Round will see 5,000 participants from about 50 nations. 

The two teams of six students are keen to go to Beijing and carry the PFS banner further. Their parents have agreed to support them for their flights, accommodation, visa and other incidental costs. However, the potential show stopper is the daunting registration fee of RM3,200 per student. My friends and I were helping them to source for funds so that they could go. We are hoping that their success and trip would inspire others to learn English more seriously or even join the Debating Society. There were about two or three Form One boys who took part in the WSC Regional Round and won multiple awards for the school. We think the HM’s strategy of improving the usage and study of English in the school via the Debating Society is seeing positive results.

All these six boys who are going to Beijing went through our PFS Student Leadership Workshops last year and this year, and were some of the obvious leaders in the school and hopefully, in their adult lives in rebuilding Malaysia. They worked very hard to revive the Debating Society and mentoring their juniors. They worked very hard to compete. These young leaders now have the audacity to go beyond what they were given by the school, and aim for breakthroughs. And they are willing to work for it. They are going for a moon shot chance to show their worth in Beijing!