1 00:00:20,116 --> 00:00:22,907 Assalamualaikum! Good morning everyone! 2 00:00:22,907 --> 00:00:25,265 Thanks for inviting me here today. 3 00:00:25,265 --> 00:00:28,278 A lot of great speakers have spoken before this as well. 4 00:00:28,278 --> 00:00:29,767 My name is Dzameer Dzulkifli and I am 5 00:00:29,767 --> 00:00:32,687 The co-founder and managing director of Teach for Malaysia. 6 00:00:32,687 --> 00:00:35,335 Today I'll be talking to you guys about Teach for Malaysia, 7 00:00:35,335 --> 00:00:37,188 and specifically, a program we are doing, which is 8 00:00:37,188 --> 00:00:39,359 Empower to Empower. 9 00:00:40,669 --> 00:00:41,767 What is this actually? 10 00:00:41,767 --> 00:00:43,681 What is actually an education? 11 00:00:43,681 --> 00:00:46,378 For us in Teach for Malaysia, we believe excellent education 12 00:00:46,378 --> 00:00:48,305 in Malaysia is where all children 13 00:00:48,305 --> 00:00:52,149 are empowered to be leaders of their own learning, 14 00:00:52,149 --> 00:00:54,410 their future, and the nation's future. 15 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:56,920 This is what empowerment means: 16 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:58,698 the choice to do whatever you want, 17 00:00:58,698 --> 00:01:01,290 wherever you want, and not being afraid 18 00:01:01,290 --> 00:01:03,070 of being told that you cannot do it. 19 00:01:05,330 --> 00:01:07,190 Here are some stats for Malaysia: 20 00:01:08,070 --> 00:01:11,352 44% of 14-year-olds in Malaysia do not meet minimum 21 00:01:11,352 --> 00:01:15,770 international literacy proficiency levels. 22 00:01:15,770 --> 00:01:20,597 60% do not meet numeracy proficiency levels. 23 00:01:20,597 --> 00:01:22,432 1 out of 5 of Malaysians do not complete 24 00:01:22,432 --> 00:01:24,472 their secondary school education. 25 00:01:24,472 --> 00:01:26,016 This is the stats. 26 00:01:28,396 --> 00:01:30,721 How does it look in real life? 27 00:01:30,721 --> 00:01:35,982 How do you feel this and see this in the classrooms in Malaysia? 28 00:01:35,982 --> 00:01:38,621 I got a short video here that I would like to share with you guys. 29 00:01:50,292 --> 00:01:51,892 My name is Rakis 30 00:01:51,892 --> 00:02:00,794 I...old...old...old 31 00:02:00,794 --> 00:02:04,483 You try to read this. Just try only 32 00:02:04,983 --> 00:02:15,405 ... 33 00:02:15,405 --> 00:02:26,045 I... 34 00:02:26,045 --> 00:02:31,156 I...wit...to be... 35 00:02:32,434 --> 00:02:33,326 No. 36 00:02:33,326 --> 00:02:34,399 Totally do not understand? 37 00:02:34,399 --> 00:02:36,102 OK, never mind. I'll ask you another question 38 00:02:40,416 --> 00:02:41,961 Just give it a try. 39 00:02:41,961 --> 00:02:46,221 One two three four five six seven eight nine ten 40 00:02:46,221 --> 00:02:50,434 eleven...twelve... I don't knoooow 41 00:02:54,718 --> 00:02:56,107 After twelve you don't know? 42 00:02:56,107 --> 00:02:58,217 My name is Jayalatumi. 43 00:02:58,217 --> 00:03:04,248 I old is twenty... twenty years old. 44 00:03:04,248 --> 00:03:06,143 Twenty years old? 45 00:03:07,343 --> 00:03:09,427 How do we pronounce 13 in English? 46 00:03:10,877 --> 00:03:12,349 Twenteen years old. 47 00:03:12,349 --> 00:03:13,409 Thirteen. 48 00:03:13,409 --> 00:03:14,947 Thirteen years old. 49 00:03:14,947 --> 00:03:17,017 OK, Jaya. Can you please read this for me? 50 00:03:23,570 --> 00:03:24,679 When. 51 00:03:25,429 --> 00:03:28,079 When I... 52 00:03:28,079 --> 00:03:28,932 You try? 53 00:03:28,932 --> 00:03:30,632 When I... 54 00:03:32,313 --> 00:03:34,139 These are some of the kids in Malaysia 55 00:03:34,139 --> 00:03:36,068 that have been going through the education system 56 00:03:36,068 --> 00:03:37,080 and so struggled. 57 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,158 Their background often limits their opportunity. 58 00:03:40,818 --> 00:03:42,520 It's not they lack the ability. 59 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,970 I personally was very shocked once, when I visited the classroom. 60 00:03:45,970 --> 00:03:49,020 I went into a Form 2 Geography classroom. 61 00:03:49,020 --> 00:03:50,610 There was an excercise going on. 62 00:03:50,610 --> 00:03:52,771 Most of the boys and girls were active in the class, 63 00:03:52,771 --> 00:03:54,201 except for one of the boys, who was at the back, 64 00:03:54,201 --> 00:03:56,094 sitting very quietly, looking down. 65 00:03:56,634 --> 00:03:59,051 And I asked him, What's up? What's going on? 66 00:04:01,241 --> 00:04:02,839 Kenapa berdiri di sini? (Why do you stand here?) 67 00:04:02,839 --> 00:04:03,915 Ada masalah tak? (Are you ok?) 68 00:04:03,915 --> 00:04:05,132 Boleh saya tolong? (Do you need any help?) 69 00:04:05,132 --> 00:04:05,962 And then he said: 70 00:04:05,962 --> 00:04:08,034 Cikgu saya tak tahu baca (Sir, I dont know how to read). 71 00:04:08,034 --> 00:04:10,906 This was a Malay boy who could not read 72 00:04:10,906 --> 00:04:12,811 in Malay Geography class 73 00:04:12,811 --> 00:04:14,241 and that really shocked me. 74 00:04:14,241 --> 00:04:19,479 It wasn't the usual challenge, one of a SJK (C) or SJK (T) challenges, 75 00:04:19,479 --> 00:04:21,402 but this was in his own language, 76 00:04:21,402 --> 00:04:22,353 his mother tongue language, 77 00:04:22,353 --> 00:04:23,431 that he could not read. 78 00:04:23,431 --> 00:04:26,481 And if you cannot read, you don't have access to the information. 79 00:04:27,451 --> 00:04:28,907 These are what the stats don't tell us about 80 00:04:28,907 --> 00:04:32,172 living in low-income communities, right? 81 00:04:32,172 --> 00:04:33,904 Kids at the age of... 82 00:04:33,904 --> 00:04:36,065 Sometimes even at the age of eight 83 00:04:36,065 --> 00:04:37,933 have to start working for their families. 84 00:04:38,723 --> 00:04:41,014 They don't have any role models growing up... 85 00:04:41,014 --> 00:04:44,723 The university or the creative arts or starting up barbershops as well 86 00:04:44,723 --> 00:04:48,423 they don't have the role model and programs like JOHO are amazing. 87 00:04:49,213 --> 00:04:53,414 They did not pass UPSR and this has created self-defeated attitude. 88 00:04:53,414 --> 00:04:56,693 No one has actually told them "You can succeed!" 89 00:04:56,693 --> 00:04:59,185 "You can progress!" "You can be amazing!" 90 00:04:59,185 --> 00:05:01,004 And that is what the kids really need: 91 00:05:01,004 --> 00:05:03,660 the sense of hope and motivation. 92 00:05:03,660 --> 00:05:07,326 So given all the challenges that we have seen in the education stats, 93 00:05:07,326 --> 00:05:10,609 what does the little organization like Teach for Malaysia want to do? 94 00:05:11,669 --> 00:05:17,165 We believe that talent is at the key in any successful organization 95 00:05:17,165 --> 00:05:20,088 and more importantly in the education system. 96 00:05:20,088 --> 00:05:23,376 If you attract top graduates and young professionals 97 00:05:23,376 --> 00:05:25,077 that have never been considered the career of teaching 98 00:05:25,077 --> 00:05:27,906 because they have been told to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, 99 00:05:27,906 --> 00:05:33,677 maybe startups founders or now-a-days bankers and consultants, 100 00:05:33,677 --> 00:05:37,457 who is going to pass down the civilization to the next generation? 101 00:05:37,457 --> 00:05:41,819 Teach for Malaysia is going out there to recruit top graduates to teach 102 00:05:41,819 --> 00:05:45,387 as full time teachers in underprivileged schools for two years. 103 00:05:46,937 --> 00:05:48,298 During that two years, 104 00:05:48,298 --> 00:05:50,699 they all make an impact on the students, 105 00:05:50,699 --> 00:05:53,891 but more importantly they understand what challenges 106 00:05:53,891 --> 00:05:57,709 faced by the students and how to remove those barriers in a long run. 107 00:05:57,709 --> 00:05:59,847 They can decide to stay in the education system 108 00:05:59,847 --> 00:06:01,550 or they can decide to leave, 109 00:06:01,550 --> 00:06:06,498 but there will be always an alumni movement dedicated towards systematic change. 110 00:06:06,498 --> 00:06:09,508 Not only pushing the boundary of one kid at a time, 111 00:06:09,508 --> 00:06:12,628 but pushing all of Malaysia forward, simultaneously. 112 00:06:15,828 --> 00:06:19,591 Now I am going to show you a video about one of our fellows 113 00:06:19,591 --> 00:06:21,219 sharing a short reflection. 114 00:06:21,219 --> 00:06:23,834 You met Jaya earlier on. She's been talking about 115 00:06:23,834 --> 00:06:28,410 how she worked with Jaya for two years in her fellowship 116 00:06:28,410 --> 00:06:30,551 on top of being a full time teacher, 117 00:06:30,551 --> 00:06:33,099 she did after school classes with Jaya as well. 118 00:06:46,069 --> 00:06:49,751 In my first year of teaching, I had a student named Jaya. 119 00:06:49,751 --> 00:06:52,205 She was thirteen years old when I first met her. 120 00:06:52,205 --> 00:06:56,020 So she was at Form 1 and what really strucked me with Jaya was 121 00:06:56,020 --> 00:06:57,710 She could not write and read at all. 122 00:06:57,710 --> 00:07:00,284 She knew the alphabet, but she did not know how it sounded. 123 00:07:00,284 --> 00:07:02,692 So I offered to give her extra classes after school 124 00:07:02,692 --> 00:07:03,992 and she took them up. 125 00:07:03,992 --> 00:07:06,122 And she will come to my house every day after school. 126 00:07:06,122 --> 00:07:08,373 We will go through all the books together. 127 00:07:08,373 --> 00:07:11,122 So we started at Peter and Jane this was at Level 1A. 128 00:07:11,122 --> 00:07:14,213 And I realized that she could not read the first word in the book, 129 00:07:14,213 --> 00:07:15,463 which was Peter. 130 00:07:15,463 --> 00:07:18,444 We started from there and it was the level she began with 131 00:07:18,444 --> 00:07:21,233 and we moved from there to few different levels as well. 132 00:07:21,233 --> 00:07:22,913 So after four months, 133 00:07:22,913 --> 00:07:25,875 she could finally finish reading book 1A Peter and Jane 134 00:07:25,875 --> 00:07:28,473 and she asked me if she could bring her entire family along 135 00:07:28,473 --> 00:07:29,545 to the reading session. 136 00:07:29,545 --> 00:07:31,064 Erm, I said sure. 137 00:07:31,064 --> 00:07:33,484 So she brought her family along and I realized that 138 00:07:33,484 --> 00:07:35,684 her entire family could not read. 139 00:07:35,684 --> 00:07:39,188 So she has a brother who is 16 years old at this point 140 00:07:39,188 --> 00:07:40,815 and he could not read as well. 141 00:07:40,815 --> 00:07:43,343 What was really shocked me after seeing all that was 142 00:07:43,343 --> 00:07:46,925 the moment when I saw her at book 3A. 143 00:07:46,925 --> 00:07:48,516 She was at 3A at this point, but 144 00:07:48,516 --> 00:07:51,236 she was confidently reading to her sister and her brother. 145 00:07:51,236 --> 00:07:53,455 And she was telling them how to pronounce certain words. 146 00:07:53,455 --> 00:07:54,986 And at that moment, 147 00:07:54,986 --> 00:07:57,485 I realized that I was not just teaching her, 148 00:07:57,485 --> 00:08:00,539 but I empowered her to teach her entire family as well. 149 00:08:01,235 --> 00:08:03,127 So this is a ripple effect: 150 00:08:03,127 --> 00:08:06,027 One teacher impacts one student one bit in a time, and 151 00:08:06,027 --> 00:08:07,697 it impacts the whole family. 152 00:08:07,697 --> 00:08:08,688 That is what we are looking for 153 00:08:08,688 --> 00:08:10,168 and so far, in the past 5 years 154 00:08:10,168 --> 00:08:15,450 Teach for Malaysia has recruited 253 fellows to be part of this program. 155 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,458 31 of them are actually based in Pasir Gudang, Johor. 156 00:08:20,798 --> 00:08:24,228 In 22 schools not too far away from Johor Bahru 157 00:08:24,228 --> 00:08:26,229 and also Sungai Segget 158 00:08:26,229 --> 00:08:27,969 which I just learn a lot about. 159 00:08:28,989 --> 00:08:31,675 We are here... I mean... 160 00:08:31,675 --> 00:08:33,497 we'll be placed in an underprivileged school, 161 00:08:33,497 --> 00:08:35,508 low-income communities, industrial communities, 162 00:08:35,508 --> 00:08:40,391 and we want to be working with all sorts of like players and stakeholders in Johor 163 00:08:40,391 --> 00:08:44,188 to help these kids to see a different future for themselves. 164 00:08:44,188 --> 00:08:46,199 They need the exposure and 165 00:08:46,199 --> 00:08:49,940 the most memorable line I had that a fellow told me 166 00:08:49,940 --> 00:08:51,819 they said, Dzameer in the end of the day 167 00:08:51,819 --> 00:08:53,316 we are just the routers. 168 00:08:53,316 --> 00:08:55,439 We take the kids and show them the outside world 169 00:08:55,439 --> 00:08:58,489 and we get the outside world and we show them to the kids. 170 00:08:58,489 --> 00:09:01,910 Once the kids see that there is already a natural spark in them 171 00:09:01,910 --> 00:09:03,619 that continues to glow. 172 00:09:04,849 --> 00:09:06,600 Now what happened after two years Dzameer? 173 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,051 What can you do in two years, right? 174 00:09:08,051 --> 00:09:11,831 What can you do with 250 people? 175 00:09:11,831 --> 00:09:15,801 So far, 150 fellows have completed their two years 176 00:09:15,801 --> 00:09:19,721 and this is where the real magic of Teach for Malaysia happens. 177 00:09:19,721 --> 00:09:22,771 What happens here is that they decide what to do the next 178 00:09:22,771 --> 00:09:25,540 and out of these 150 around 45 of them 179 00:09:25,540 --> 00:09:28,281 are in the education sector 180 00:09:28,281 --> 00:09:30,541 so they continue to be a full-time teachers 181 00:09:30,541 --> 00:09:33,841 with MOE (Ministry of Education) as a civil servants. 182 00:09:33,841 --> 00:09:39,602 About another 40% are in the social sector or education sector 183 00:09:39,602 --> 00:09:44,130 and then another 30% is in the private sector, 184 00:09:44,130 --> 00:09:50,094 places like Shell, CIMB, Bank Negara, McKinsey, etc. 185 00:09:50,094 --> 00:09:52,683 But what they are going to do as a group? 186 00:09:52,683 --> 00:09:54,653 Here're a few examples. 187 00:09:54,653 --> 00:09:59,032 5 of them that remains as teachers demonstrated such great leadership 188 00:09:59,032 --> 00:10:01,253 that they influenced their principals 189 00:10:01,253 --> 00:10:04,673 to start up an Innovative School Transformation Project, 190 00:10:04,673 --> 00:10:06,984 the Trust School Program. 191 00:10:06,984 --> 00:10:12,034 They are teaching and training almost 80 to 120 other teachers 192 00:10:12,034 --> 00:10:15,675 that impact another 1000 students. 193 00:10:15,675 --> 00:10:19,474 This is only on the third or fourth year of teaching. 194 00:10:19,474 --> 00:10:22,106 Some of them decided then that the classroom and 195 00:10:22,106 --> 00:10:24,445 the school environment is not for them. 196 00:10:24,445 --> 00:10:26,337 They wanted to start an after school program. 197 00:10:26,337 --> 00:10:29,538 And the after school program is really pushing kids 198 00:10:29,538 --> 00:10:31,165 because there is no curriculum 199 00:10:31,165 --> 00:10:34,286 there is only problem plus programming. 200 00:10:34,286 --> 00:10:35,825 And when they did this, 201 00:10:35,825 --> 00:10:39,245 they were so successful that they are taking kids from low-income communities 202 00:10:39,245 --> 00:10:42,046 they were even challenging the Sekolah Berasrama Penuh 203 00:10:42,046 --> 00:10:43,266 and the International School kids 204 00:10:43,266 --> 00:10:45,137 and programming and coding challenges 205 00:10:45,137 --> 00:10:47,196 and they were winning awards. 206 00:10:47,196 --> 00:10:49,256 And then spotted them and telling them that 207 00:10:49,256 --> 00:10:50,856 Hey we have been thinking about 208 00:10:50,856 --> 00:10:53,077 rewriting the computer and science curriculum 209 00:10:53,077 --> 00:10:54,628 can you come help us do it? 210 00:10:54,628 --> 00:10:57,987 You understand the system, you understand the computer science, 211 00:10:57,987 --> 00:10:59,167 let's do it together! 212 00:10:59,167 --> 00:11:00,958 And so they appointed them to rewrite 213 00:11:00,958 --> 00:11:03,218 the computer science curriculum 214 00:11:03,218 --> 00:11:09,718 as well as train 22 other pilot schools to run this program. 215 00:11:11,228 --> 00:11:12,608 Another group of alumni said, 216 00:11:12,608 --> 00:11:14,228 You know, I have been teaching in classroom 217 00:11:14,228 --> 00:11:17,282 and the most things that I struggle with is without resources. 218 00:11:17,282 --> 00:11:19,624 I don't have exciting book, I don't have exciting resources, 219 00:11:19,624 --> 00:11:20,848 I can't take my kids for trip, 220 00:11:20,848 --> 00:11:22,688 It is so difficult... 221 00:11:22,688 --> 00:11:23,577 What we are going to do? 222 00:11:23,577 --> 00:11:25,929 Let's start a crowd-funding platform for teachers. 223 00:11:25,929 --> 00:11:27,540 Not just for Teach for Malaysia fellows 224 00:11:27,540 --> 00:11:30,027 but every teacher can sign up a program and fundraise. 225 00:11:30,027 --> 00:11:33,009 And so far they have raised more than 380000 MYR 226 00:11:33,009 --> 00:11:35,000 for different projects around schools. 227 00:11:35,930 --> 00:11:38,179 This is only with Alumni 228 00:11:38,179 --> 00:11:42,199 with in the third fourth to fifth year of the program experience. 229 00:11:42,199 --> 00:11:44,120 In the next twenty or thirty years, 230 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:45,629 in fact Teach for America, 231 00:11:45,629 --> 00:11:47,300 Teach for Malaysia is part of the global network 232 00:11:47,300 --> 00:11:49,231 called Teach for All 233 00:11:49,231 --> 00:11:51,410 And Teach for America is one of the oldest partners there 234 00:11:51,410 --> 00:11:53,923 where you have even the Minister of Education 235 00:11:53,923 --> 00:11:58,939 as well as the Head of the IRS 236 00:11:58,939 --> 00:12:03,046 was a Teach for America alumni or is a Teach for America alumni. 237 00:12:03,046 --> 00:12:04,710 In fact, I just heard about a story that 238 00:12:04,710 --> 00:12:08,081 one of them was even a fireman, and if there is a fire in the school 239 00:12:08,081 --> 00:12:10,142 you know you will be getting there first. 240 00:12:10,142 --> 00:12:16,273 So it takes everybody, it takes a village to raise a child in that sense. 241 00:12:17,063 --> 00:12:18,892 I am going to leave you again 242 00:12:18,892 --> 00:12:24,331 talking about this thought how the empowerment has such a strong ripple effect. 243 00:12:24,331 --> 00:12:26,654 You heard about Suet Lee teaching Jaya 244 00:12:26,654 --> 00:12:31,199 who then impacted her 16 years old brother. 245 00:12:31,199 --> 00:12:32,693 I am going to leave you with one video to thank the teachers, 246 00:12:32,693 --> 00:12:39,533 but also to see how Suet Lee's little brother Jason also became a fellow. 247 00:16:02,390 --> 00:16:04,261 The amount of joy 248 00:16:04,261 --> 00:16:05,720 satisfaction enjoyment 249 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:08,160 (Audiences clapped) 250 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,913 I also wish that I had a teacher like Ms. D or Jason as well 251 00:16:10,913 --> 00:16:12,666 and I know many of you do 252 00:16:12,666 --> 00:16:15,081 And so as I leave today I just want to ask you 253 00:16:15,081 --> 00:16:18,050 Who was that teacher that left a spark in you? 254 00:16:18,050 --> 00:16:20,910 We should tell them and thank them while they are still around. 255 00:16:20,910 --> 00:16:24,830 And if you want to empower a kid or kids in Malaysia 256 00:16:24,830 --> 00:16:26,537 What would you say to them? 257 00:16:26,537 --> 00:16:27,762 Empower to empower. 258 00:16:27,762 --> 00:16:28,791 Thank you very much.