“Educating children at any level is not just about teaching and preparing them to excel in examinations. That is important of course, but it should not be the only focus. Equally important is the task and responsibility of helping these children grow and develop throughout the many years they spend in school. The ultimate aim is to groom them into well-balanced and well-adjusted young adults capable of finding happiness and success in their personal lives as well as careers so that they fit in well and can function in any society around the world,” said Datin A.K. Chan, who recently joined R.E.A.L Education Group (now part of Paramount Education) as Senior Advisor for Education.
Whilst speaking with Datin Chan, her knowledge and passion for education is evident and they emanate from her words and actions. “We know that education is changing all the time. New implementations and regulations are always being introduced, but there are two areas that are constantly being scrutinized and reviewed by educators the world over,” she explained. “One is curriculum. What are we teaching in school? What are our children learning? Are they gaining useful knowledge that is relevant to the world they live in? The other area is teaching approaches. How are we teaching our children? How do they learn in school nowadays? Are we guiding them to develop the right attitudes towards their studies and other pursuits? Are we teaching them appropriate skills so that they learn better?” she queried.
With this in mind, Datin Chan aims to work closely with R.E.A.L Schools’ administrators in order to support and ensure the successful delivery of its curriculum and teaching pedagogy. She acknowledges the fact that much work needs to be done towards creating and maintaining an ideal environment for students to grow and learn in; as well as instilling a positive learning culture within the school community that is understood, accepted, and practised by students and teachers alike.
Datin Chan’s distinguished career in education, which spans more than 40 years, has seen her serve in both government and private academic institutions. A few years after embarking on a teaching career in 1975, she was appointed Principal of SMK Convent Sitiawan at the age of 32 – making her one of the youngest principals of a secondary school in Malaysia at the time. And prior to joining R.E.A.L last year, Datin Chan was Academic Director of Sekolah Sri KDU and also its founding Principal back in 2002, having served 19 years as Principal of various government schools before that.
She surmised that the quality of a school is ultimately determined by the quality of its teachers. “But, the school administrators are the ones who take charge of the quality of the teachers. Therefore, they need to demonstrate great leadership while having a clear vision of what they want to achieve over a period of time, and purposefulness in whatever they choose to implement in the school. Having said that, I wholly believe that the quality of a school cannot exceed the quality of its teachers,” she reiterated.
Exuding firm belief and commitment, Datin Chan concludes, “As educators, we must always see ourselves as persons entrusted but more importantly, ‘trusted’ to fulfil this great responsibility. R.E.A.L Education recognizes this, and has recently launched a well-researched transformation plan that is specifically designed to drive all R.E.A.L Schools in one giant leap forward together”.
In her new role, Datin Chan seeks to ensure the effective delivery of R.E.A.L’s teaching and learning approach while encouraging teachers to adopt more interactive teaching strategies. At the same time, she continues to be strongly committed to values and practices that promote students’ overall development while placing strong professional focus on the learning needs of students from all levels.
With over 30 years of history in shaping education excellence, R.E.A.L Schools is a diverse community of learning that is committed to delivering holistic education through exceptional academic standards. This is anchored by sound character values, students’ performance, practical learning platforms, and enriching student experiences. Today, we have 6 schools located at 3 campuses in Malaysia, offering both International and National syllabi ranging from Preschool, Primary to Secondary levels that aim to nurture well-rounded students with outstanding grades, robust extracurricular activities, leadership qualities, and lifelong practical living skills. R.E.A.L Schools is also a 5-star rated school as certified by the Ministry of Education Malaysia.