Reported by:
Yeo El Xy Jr1Z(1)
From the 23rd to the 30th of November 2023, the Junior Middle one students of Kuen Cheng High School had an extremely exciting opportunity to visit the Kuala Lumpur Tzu-Chi Jing Si Hall.
The students were divided into groups according to their classes and carried out different activities. There were two main activities and the duration of each activity was approximately one hour. The first activity was the “Diseases Prevention Combat Camp” Science Convention and the second was a talk on “Stateless Children —— A Wish to go to School”.
The “Diseases Prevention Combat Camp” Science Convention provided the students with a scientific perspective to better understand diseases such as the COVID-19 Virus, Influenza and Dengue Fever through a plethora of multimedia elements and interactive games. There were various stations that the students took turns visiting and experiencing. The students gained a deeper understanding of the diseases in the augmented reality world through shooting games, motion-sensing games, and more. Each student was given a card in which their scores in each game would be recorded. On top of that, the top eight students with the highest scores by the end of the session received a special reward.
Students learning through interactive games
Students who achieved the highest scores in the games
During the next hour, the Junior Middle One students listened to a talk given by one of the teachers at Tzu-Chi Jing Si Hall. This enabled the students to understand and sympathize with the stateless children in Sandakan, Sabah who had to live in trash piles and struggled their whole lives. The children all had one similar wish —— to go to school. The Junior Middle One students were also able to share their own thoughts and ideas about this topic. The students also answered some questions and received a special souvenir in return for their participation.
Teacher giving a talk about stateless children
Each class was given a bamboo coin bank from the Tzu-Chi Jing Si Hall. The Junior Middle One students were encouraged to help the stateless children by contributing small amounts of money everyday, and the money collected would go towards helping the non-nationality students achieve their schooling dreams.
This experience benefitted the students greatly and allowed them to expand their knowledge on various diseases. It also enabled them to get to know the stateless children further and put effort towards fulfilling their wish of going to school.
Feedback from the students:
Leow Jun Teck : From this activity, I learned about different variants of viruses and methods to prevent them. In addition, I learned interesting facts about mosquito species that can spread diseases. Also, we learnt that immigrants from countries like the Philippines come to Malaysia to escape from problems in their home countries.
Eanne Koo: Overall, this experience has been informative, fun and thought-provoking. It utilized non-traditional ways of teaching to educate us on the dangers and treatments of various diseases. Additionally, it prompted us to realize that we’ve been taking too much for granted in our lives. I am grateful for this opportunity, as it has proven to be beneficial for all of us.
Ch’ng Jia Lin : This trip was really meaningful. Not only did I learn about the prevention of diseases and viruses, there was also a small exhibition for us to find out the species of some mosquitos and their breeding grounds. Most importantly, the speech about stateless children really made me pity them, especially when I heard they want to attend school lessons. This program taught me to appreciate what we have now, as we live in a stable environment, whereas some people don’t even have a suitable place to live. Overall, this trip has benefited me a lot. I’m glad to have this study trip!
Ho Wil Liam : Regarding this tour, I’ve learned that we should cherish the opportunity of going to school. It served as a stark reminder that while many of us take education for granted, millions around the world such as the stateless person face significant barriers to accessing even the most basic educational resources. I am inspired to advocate for the right to education for all, as it is a powerful tool for breaking the chains of statelessness and building a fair world for all.