TEACHER RECOUNTS EXPERIENCE TEACHING IN REMOTE SCHOOL

Tay Oi Leng, 42, who has to commute daily to Sekolah Kebangsaan Buayan via off-road trail, it was one of the most unforgettable experiences in his career as a school teacher.

PENAMPANG: While crossing a flooded river on a motorcycle enroute to a far-flung school here, a teacher was almost swept away by the strong currents.

For Tay Oi Leng, 42, who has to commute daily to Sekolah Kebangsaan Buayan via off-road trail, it was one of the most unforgettable experiences in his career as a school teacher.

"I was mentally prepared when I got posted here in 2012, but I was still shocked when I found that the journey took two hours on a four-wheel drive vehicle, followed by a three-hour walk in the jungle.

"The most unforgettable experience was when a group of teachers had to push our motorcycles uphill for two hours, as well as crossing the river," said the mathematics teacher, who was previously posted at SK Kuala Tomani in Tenom since 2005.

He said the route to the school had improved, and the journey had been cut short to between two and four hours depending on the weather.

However, the improved infrastructure comes with the same amount of challenges as a teacher.

In March, the New Straits Times had reported that Tay and two other teachers had to walk 12km to coax a Year 4 pupil to come back to school.

According to the Sekolah Kebangsaan Buayan headmaster Matius Kusop, the three-hour walk was to visit a pupil who had been absent from school for three weeks.

"That pupil is now attending school as usual,” he said when asked for an update on the pupil.

"In my opinion, schoolchildren in remote areas require more attention from teachers and the school.

"If we do not care for them, many will be left out," he said, adding the school had embarked on an Adoption programme between 2014 and 2018 to help children who live far from school.

Tay's dedication to his profession was supported by his family, as his wife also used to teach at the school for two years.

His wife transferred to SK St Joseph in Donggongon following the birth of their child in 2014.

"I used to go home once every two weeks, but now as the road is better, I can meet my family every week," he said.

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