WEBVTT 00:00:20.116 --> 00:00:22.907 Assalamualaikum! Good morning everyone! 00:00:22.907 --> 00:00:25.265 Thanks for inviting me here today. 00:00:25.265 --> 00:00:28.278 A lot of great speakers have spoken before this as well. 00:00:28.278 --> 00:00:29.767 My name is Dzameer Dzulkifli and I am 00:00:29.767 --> 00:00:32.687 The co-founder and managing director of Teach for Malaysia. 00:00:32.687 --> 00:00:35.335 Today I'll be talking to you guys about Teach for Malaysia, 00:00:35.335 --> 00:00:37.188 and specifically, a program we are doing, which is 00:00:37.188 --> 00:00:39.359 Empower to Empower. 00:00:40.669 --> 00:00:41.767 What is this actually? 00:00:41.767 --> 00:00:43.681 What is actually an education? 00:00:43.681 --> 00:00:46.378 For us in Teach for Malaysia, we believe excellent education 00:00:46.378 --> 00:00:48.305 in Malaysia is where all children 00:00:48.305 --> 00:00:52.149 are empowered to be leaders of their own learning, 00:00:52.149 --> 00:00:54.410 their future, and the nation's future. 00:00:55.560 --> 00:00:56.920 This is what empowerment means: 00:00:56.920 --> 00:00:58.698 the choice to do whatever you want, 00:00:58.698 --> 00:01:01.290 wherever you want, and not being afraid 00:01:01.290 --> 00:01:03.070 of being told that you cannot do it. 00:01:05.330 --> 00:01:07.190 Here are some stats for Malaysia: 00:01:08.070 --> 00:01:11.352 44% of 14-year-olds in Malaysia do not meet minimum 00:01:11.352 --> 00:01:15.770 international literacy proficiency levels. 00:01:15.770 --> 00:01:20.597 60% do not meet numeracy proficiency levels. 00:01:20.597 --> 00:01:22.432 1 out of 5 of Malaysians do not complete 00:01:22.432 --> 00:01:24.472 their secondary school education. 00:01:24.472 --> 00:01:26.016 This is the stats. 00:01:28.396 --> 00:01:30.721 How does it look in real life? 00:01:30.721 --> 00:01:35.982 How do you feel this and see this in the classrooms in Malaysia? 00:01:35.982 --> 00:01:38.621 I got a short video here that I would like to share with you guys. 00:01:50.292 --> 00:01:51.892 My name is Rakis 00:01:51.892 --> 00:02:00.794 I...old...old...old 00:02:00.794 --> 00:02:04.483 You try to read this. Just try only 00:02:04.983 --> 00:02:15.405 ... 00:02:15.405 --> 00:02:26.045 I... 00:02:26.045 --> 00:02:31.156 I...wit...to be... 00:02:32.434 --> 00:02:33.326 No. 00:02:33.326 --> 00:02:34.399 Totally do not understand? 00:02:34.399 --> 00:02:36.102 OK, never mind. I'll ask you another question 00:02:40.416 --> 00:02:41.961 Just give it a try. 00:02:41.961 --> 00:02:46.221 One two three four five six seven eight nine ten 00:02:46.221 --> 00:02:50.434 eleven...twelve... I don't knoooow 00:02:54.718 --> 00:02:56.107 After twelve you don't know? 00:02:56.107 --> 00:02:58.217 My name is Jayalatumi. 00:02:58.217 --> 00:03:04.248 I old is twenty... twenty years old. 00:03:04.248 --> 00:03:06.143 Twenty years old? 00:03:07.343 --> 00:03:09.427 How do we pronounce 13 in English? 00:03:10.877 --> 00:03:12.349 Twenteen years old. 00:03:12.349 --> 00:03:13.409 Thirteen. 00:03:13.409 --> 00:03:14.947 Thirteen years old. 00:03:14.947 --> 00:03:17.017 OK, Jaya. Can you please read this for me? 00:03:23.570 --> 00:03:24.679 When. 00:03:25.429 --> 00:03:28.079 When I... 00:03:28.079 --> 00:03:28.932 You try? 00:03:28.932 --> 00:03:30.632 When I... 00:03:32.313 --> 00:03:34.139 These are some of the kids in Malaysia 00:03:34.139 --> 00:03:36.068 that have been going through the education system 00:03:36.068 --> 00:03:37.080 and so struggled. 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:40.158 Their background often limits their opportunity. 00:03:40.818 --> 00:03:42.520 It's not they lack the ability. 00:03:42.520 --> 00:03:45.970 I personally was very shocked once, when I visited the classroom. 00:03:45.970 --> 00:03:49.020 I went into a Form 2 Geography classroom. 00:03:49.020 --> 00:03:50.610 There was an excercise going on. 00:03:50.610 --> 00:03:52.771 Most of the boys and girls were active in the class, 00:03:52.771 --> 00:03:54.201 except for one of the boys, who was at the back, 00:03:54.201 --> 00:03:56.094 sitting very quietly, looking down. 00:03:56.634 --> 00:03:59.051 And I asked him, What's up? What's going on? 00:04:01.241 --> 00:04:02.839 Kenapa berdiri di sini? (Why do you stand here?) 00:04:02.839 --> 00:04:03.915 Ada masalah tak? (Are you ok?) 00:04:03.915 --> 00:04:05.132 Boleh saya tolong? (Do you need any help?) 00:04:05.132 --> 00:04:05.962 And then he said: 00:04:05.962 --> 00:04:08.034 Cikgu saya tak tahu baca (Sir, I dont know how to read). 00:04:08.034 --> 00:04:10.906 This was a Malay boy who could not read 00:04:10.906 --> 00:04:12.811 in Malay Geography class 00:04:12.811 --> 00:04:14.241 and that really shocked me. 00:04:14.241 --> 00:04:19.479 It wasn't the usual challenge, one of a SJK (C) or SJK (T) challenges, 00:04:19.479 --> 00:04:21.402 but this was in his own language, 00:04:21.402 --> 00:04:22.353 his mother tongue language, 00:04:22.353 --> 00:04:23.431 that he could not read. 00:04:23.431 --> 00:04:26.481 And if you cannot read, you don't have access to the information. 00:04:27.451 --> 00:04:28.907 These are what the stats don't tell us about 00:04:28.907 --> 00:04:32.172 living in low-income communities, right? 00:04:32.172 --> 00:04:33.904 Kids at the age of... 00:04:33.904 --> 00:04:36.065 Sometimes even at the age of eight 00:04:36.065 --> 00:04:37.933 have to start working for their families. 00:04:38.723 --> 00:04:41.014 They don't have any role models growing up... 00:04:41.014 --> 00:04:44.723 The university or the creative arts or starting up barbershops as well 00:04:44.723 --> 00:04:48.423 they don't have the role model and programs like JOHO are amazing. 00:04:49.213 --> 00:04:53.414 They did not pass UPSR and this has created self-defeated attitude. 00:04:53.414 --> 00:04:56.693 No one has actually told them "You can succeed!" 00:04:56.693 --> 00:04:59.185 "You can progress!" "You can be amazing!" 00:04:59.185 --> 00:05:01.004 And that is what the kids really need: 00:05:01.004 --> 00:05:03.660 the sense of hope and motivation. 00:05:03.660 --> 00:05:07.326 So given all the challenges that we have seen in the education stats, 00:05:07.326 --> 00:05:10.609 what does the little organization like Teach for Malaysia want to do? 00:05:11.669 --> 00:05:17.165 We believe that talent is at the key in any successful organization 00:05:17.165 --> 00:05:20.088 and more importantly in the education system. 00:05:20.088 --> 00:05:23.376 If you attract top graduates and young professionals 00:05:23.376 --> 00:05:25.077 that have never been considered the career of teaching 00:05:25.077 --> 00:05:27.906 because they have been told to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, 00:05:27.906 --> 00:05:33.677 maybe startups founders or now-a-days bankers and consultants, 00:05:33.677 --> 00:05:37.457 who is going to pass down the civilization to the next generation? 00:05:37.457 --> 00:05:41.819 Teach for Malaysia is going out there to recruit top graduates to teach 00:05:41.819 --> 00:05:45.387 as full time teachers in underprivileged schools for two years. 00:05:46.937 --> 00:05:48.298 During that two years, 00:05:48.298 --> 00:05:50.699 they all make an impact on the students, 00:05:50.699 --> 00:05:53.891 but more importantly they understand what challenges 00:05:53.891 --> 00:05:57.709 faced by the students and how to remove those barriers in a long run. 00:05:57.709 --> 00:05:59.847 They can decide to stay in the education system 00:05:59.847 --> 00:06:01.550 or they can decide to leave, 00:06:01.550 --> 00:06:06.498 but there will be always an alumni movement dedicated towards systematic change. 00:06:06.498 --> 00:06:09.508 Not only pushing the boundary of one kid at a time, 00:06:09.508 --> 00:06:12.628 but pushing all of Malaysia forward, simultaneously. 00:06:15.828 --> 00:06:19.591 Now I am going to show you a video about one of our fellows 00:06:19.591 --> 00:06:21.219 sharing a short reflection. 00:06:21.219 --> 00:06:23.834 You met Jaya earlier on. She's been talking about 00:06:23.834 --> 00:06:28.410 how she worked with Jaya for two years in her fellowship 00:06:28.410 --> 00:06:30.551 on top of being a full time teacher, 00:06:30.551 --> 00:06:33.099 she did after school classes with Jaya as well. 00:06:46.069 --> 00:06:49.751 In my first year of teaching, I had a student named Jaya. 00:06:49.751 --> 00:06:52.205 She was thirteen years old when I first met her. 00:06:52.205 --> 00:06:56.020 So she was at Form 1 and what really strucked me with Jaya was 00:06:56.020 --> 00:06:57.710 She could not write and read at all. 00:06:57.710 --> 00:07:00.284 She knew the alphabet, but she did not know how it sounded. 00:07:00.284 --> 00:07:02.692 So I offered to give her extra classes after school 00:07:02.692 --> 00:07:03.992 and she took them up. 00:07:03.992 --> 00:07:06.122 And she will come to my house every day after school. 00:07:06.122 --> 00:07:08.373 We will go through all the books together. 00:07:08.373 --> 00:07:11.122 So we started at Peter and Jane this was at Level 1A. 00:07:11.122 --> 00:07:14.213 And I realized that she could not read the first word in the book, 00:07:14.213 --> 00:07:15.463 which was Peter. 00:07:15.463 --> 00:07:18.444 We started from there and it was the level she began with 00:07:18.444 --> 00:07:21.233 and we moved from there to few different levels as well. 00:07:21.233 --> 00:07:22.913 So after four months, 00:07:22.913 --> 00:07:25.875 she could finally finish reading book 1A Peter and Jane 00:07:25.875 --> 00:07:28.473 and she asked me if she could bring her entire family along 00:07:28.473 --> 00:07:29.545 to the reading session. 00:07:29.545 --> 00:07:31.064 Erm, I said sure. 00:07:31.064 --> 00:07:33.484 So she brought her family along and I realized that 00:07:33.484 --> 00:07:35.684 her entire family could not read. 00:07:35.684 --> 00:07:39.188 So she has a brother who is 16 years old at this point 00:07:39.188 --> 00:07:40.815 and he could not read as well. 00:07:40.815 --> 00:07:43.343 What was really shocked me after seeing all that was 00:07:43.343 --> 00:07:46.925 the moment when I saw her at book 3A. 00:07:46.925 --> 00:07:48.516 She was at 3A at this point, but 00:07:48.516 --> 00:07:51.236 she was confidently reading to her sister and her brother. 00:07:51.236 --> 00:07:53.455 And she was telling them how to pronounce certain words. 00:07:53.455 --> 00:07:54.986 And at that moment, 00:07:54.986 --> 00:07:57.485 I realized that I was not just teaching her, 00:07:57.485 --> 00:08:00.539 but I empowered her to teach her entire family as well. 00:08:01.235 --> 00:08:03.127 So this is a ripple effect: 00:08:03.127 --> 00:08:06.027 One teacher impacts one student one bit in a time, and 00:08:06.027 --> 00:08:07.697 it impacts the whole family. 00:08:07.697 --> 00:08:08.688 That is what we are looking for 00:08:08.688 --> 00:08:10.168 and so far, in the past 5 years 00:08:10.168 --> 00:08:15.450 Teach for Malaysia has recruited 253 fellows to be part of this program. 00:08:16.520 --> 00:08:19.458 31 of them are actually based in Pasir Gudang, Johor. 00:08:20.798 --> 00:08:24.228 In 22 schools not too far away from Johor Bahru 00:08:24.228 --> 00:08:26.229 and also Sungai Segget 00:08:26.229 --> 00:08:27.969 which I just learn a lot about. 00:08:28.989 --> 00:08:31.675 We are here... I mean... 00:08:31.675 --> 00:08:33.497 we'll be placed in an underprivileged school, 00:08:33.497 --> 00:08:35.508 low-income communities, industrial communities, 00:08:35.508 --> 00:08:40.391 and we want to be working with all sorts of like players and stakeholders in Johor 00:08:40.391 --> 00:08:44.188 to help these kids to see a different future for themselves. 00:08:44.188 --> 00:08:46.199 They need the exposure and 00:08:46.199 --> 00:08:49.940 the most memorable line I had that a fellow told me 00:08:49.940 --> 00:08:51.819 they said, Dzameer in the end of the day 00:08:51.819 --> 00:08:53.316 we are just the routers. 00:08:53.316 --> 00:08:55.439 We take the kids and show them the outside world 00:08:55.439 --> 00:08:58.489 and we get the outside world and we show them to the kids. 00:08:58.489 --> 00:09:01.910 Once the kids see that there is already a natural spark in them 00:09:01.910 --> 00:09:03.619 that continues to glow. 00:09:04.849 --> 00:09:06.600 Now what happened after two years Dzameer? 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:08.051 What can you do in two years, right? 00:09:08.051 --> 00:09:11.831 What can you do with 250 people? 00:09:11.831 --> 00:09:15.801 So far, 150 fellows have completed their two years 00:09:15.801 --> 00:09:19.721 and this is where the real magic of Teach for Malaysia happens. 00:09:19.721 --> 00:09:22.771 What happens here is that they decide what to do the next 00:09:22.771 --> 00:09:25.540 and out of these 150 around 45 of them 00:09:25.540 --> 00:09:28.281 are in the education sector 00:09:28.281 --> 00:09:30.541 so they continue to be a full-time teachers 00:09:30.541 --> 00:09:33.841 with MOE (Ministry of Education) as a civil servants. 00:09:33.841 --> 00:09:39.602 About another 40% are in the social sector or education sector 00:09:39.602 --> 00:09:44.130 and then another 30% is in the private sector, 00:09:44.130 --> 00:09:50.094 places like Shell, CIMB, Bank Negara, McKinsey, etc. 00:09:50.094 --> 00:09:52.683 But what they are going to do as a group? 00:09:52.683 --> 00:09:54.653 Here're a few examples. 00:09:54.653 --> 00:09:59.032 5 of them that remains as teachers demonstrated such great leadership 00:09:59.032 --> 00:10:01.253 that they influenced their principals 00:10:01.253 --> 00:10:04.673 to start up an Innovative School Transformation Project, 00:10:04.673 --> 00:10:06.984 the Trust School Program. 00:10:06.984 --> 00:10:12.034 They are teaching and training almost 80 to 120 other teachers 00:10:12.034 --> 00:10:15.675 that impact another 1000 students. 00:10:15.675 --> 00:10:19.474 This is only on the third or fourth year of teaching. 00:10:19.474 --> 00:10:22.106 Some of them decided then that the classroom and 00:10:22.106 --> 00:10:24.445 the school environment is not for them. 00:10:24.445 --> 00:10:26.337 They wanted to start an after school program. 00:10:26.337 --> 00:10:29.538 And the after school program is really pushing kids 00:10:29.538 --> 00:10:31.165 because there is no curriculum 00:10:31.165 --> 00:10:34.286 there is only problem plus programming. 00:10:34.286 --> 00:10:35.825 And when they did this, 00:10:35.825 --> 00:10:39.245 they were so successful that they are taking kids from low-income communities 00:10:39.245 --> 00:10:42.046 they were even challenging the Sekolah Berasrama Penuh 00:10:42.046 --> 00:10:43.266 and the International School kids 00:10:43.266 --> 00:10:45.137 and programming and coding challenges 00:10:45.137 --> 00:10:47.196 and they were winning awards. 00:10:47.196 --> 00:10:49.256 And then spotted them and telling them that 00:10:49.256 --> 00:10:50.856 Hey we have been thinking about 00:10:50.856 --> 00:10:53.077 rewriting the computer and science curriculum 00:10:53.077 --> 00:10:54.628 can you come help us do it? 00:10:54.628 --> 00:10:57.987 You understand the system, you understand the computer science, 00:10:57.987 --> 00:10:59.167 let's do it together! 00:10:59.167 --> 00:11:00.958 And so they appointed them to rewrite 00:11:00.958 --> 00:11:03.218 the computer science curriculum 00:11:03.218 --> 00:11:09.718 as well as train 22 other pilot schools to run this program. 00:11:11.228 --> 00:11:12.608 Another group of alumni said, 00:11:12.608 --> 00:11:14.228 You know, I have been teaching in classroom 00:11:14.228 --> 00:11:17.282 and the most things that I struggle with is without resources. 00:11:17.282 --> 00:11:19.624 I don't have exciting book, I don't have exciting resources, 00:11:19.624 --> 00:11:20.848 I can't take my kids for trip, 00:11:20.848 --> 00:11:22.688 It is so difficult... 00:11:22.688 --> 00:11:23.577 What we are going to do? 00:11:23.577 --> 00:11:25.929 Let's start a crowd-funding platform for teachers. 00:11:25.929 --> 00:11:27.540 Not just for Teach for Malaysia fellows 00:11:27.540 --> 00:11:30.027 but every teacher can sign up a program and fundraise. 00:11:30.027 --> 00:11:33.009 And so far they have raised more than 380000 MYR 00:11:33.009 --> 00:11:35.000 for different projects around schools. 00:11:35.930 --> 00:11:38.179 This is only with Alumni 00:11:38.179 --> 00:11:42.199 with in the third fourth to fifth year of the program experience. 00:11:42.199 --> 00:11:44.120 In the next twenty or thirty years, 00:11:44.120 --> 00:11:45.629 in fact Teach for America, 00:11:45.629 --> 00:11:47.300 Teach for Malaysia is part of the global network 00:11:47.300 --> 00:11:49.231 called Teach for All 00:11:49.231 --> 00:11:51.410 And Teach for America is one of the oldest partners there 00:11:51.410 --> 00:11:53.923 where you have even the Minister of Education 00:11:53.923 --> 00:11:58.939 as well as the Head of the IRS 00:11:58.939 --> 00:12:03.046 was a Teach for America alumni or is a Teach for America alumni. 00:12:03.046 --> 00:12:04.710 In fact, I just heard about a story that 00:12:04.710 --> 00:12:08.081 one of them was even a fireman, and if there is a fire in the school 00:12:08.081 --> 00:12:10.142 you know you will be getting there first. 00:12:10.142 --> 00:12:16.273 So it takes everybody, it takes a village to raise a child in that sense. 00:12:17.063 --> 00:12:18.892 I am going to leave you again 00:12:18.892 --> 00:12:24.331 talking about this thought how the empowerment has such a strong ripple effect. 00:12:24.331 --> 00:12:26.654 You heard about Suet Lee teaching Jaya 00:12:26.654 --> 00:12:31.199 who then impacted her 16 years old brother. 00:12:31.199 --> 00:12:32.693 I am going to leave you with one video to thank the teachers, 00:12:32.693 --> 00:12:39.533 but also to see how Suet Lee's little brother Jason also became a fellow. 00:16:02.390 --> 00:16:04.261 The amount of joy 00:16:04.261 --> 00:16:05.720 satisfaction enjoyment 00:16:05.720 --> 00:16:08.160 (Audiences clapped) 00:16:08.160 --> 00:16:10.913 I also wish that I had a teacher like Ms. D or Jason as well 00:16:10.913 --> 00:16:12.666 and I know many of you do 00:16:12.666 --> 00:16:15.081 And so as I leave today I just want to ask you 00:16:15.081 --> 00:16:18.050 Who was that teacher that left a spark in you? 00:16:18.050 --> 00:16:20.910 We should tell them and thank them while they are still around. 00:16:20.910 --> 00:16:24.830 And if you want to empower a kid or kids in Malaysia 00:16:24.830 --> 00:16:26.537 What would you say to them? 00:16:26.537 --> 00:16:27.762 Empower to empower. 00:16:27.762 --> 00:16:28.791 Thank you very much.