M'sian polar explorer's feat catches UN agency's attention...

Just as the global focus is turning to the changing climate, the amazing feat of a Malaysian polar explorer to conquer the North and South Poles has caught the attention of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The agency's spokesman, Nick Nuttal, said Sharifah Mazlina Syed Kadir's accomplishment as the first Asian woman to complete the Pole-to-Pole mission underlined the interconnectiveness of the planet in the 21st century.
"We now no longer live in boxes but truly, for the first time, as a global village. Climate change for the first time is interconnecting people on this planet because every person will be feeling the impact of it," he told Bernama on the sidelines of the inaugural Global Business Summit for the Environment hosted by the UNEP here in Singapore. Sharifah Mazlina reached the top of the world at latitude 90 degress north at 2.45pm (8.25pm Malaysian time) on Tuesday, exactly two weeks after setting off from Kuala Lumpur. The feat was the culmination of the 42-year-old lecturer's one-and-a-half years of preparation. In April 2004, she was the first Asian woman to reach the South Pole. Bangkok-based UNEP Regional Information Officer Satwant Kaur said that by achieving the feat, Sharifah Mazlina was a good model not just for Malaysians but for young Asian women and men.
"It is interesting that an Asian woman has reached such heights, particularly in the International Polar Year which started in March and lasts until March 2009. It's really a good start," she said. International Polar Year (IPY) is regarded as the largest-ever international programme of scientific research focused on the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

The three-legged chair...

In front of the UN headquarters in Geneva, stands a gigantic three-legged chair. It is a stark reminder of the destruction caused by land mines. The chair was supposed to stand until every country signed the Mine Ban Treaty or the Ottawa Treaty -- the international agreement that bans antipersonnel landmines. Officially entitled The Convention on the Prohibition, Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on Their Destruction, the treaty is sometimes referred to as the Ottawa Convention. In December 1997, 122 governments signed the treaty in Ottawa, Canada. It entered into force and became binding under international law in March 1999, doing so quicker than any other previous treaty of its kind. The Treaty is still open for ratification by signatories and for accession by those who did not sign before March 1999. As of 15 August 2007, there are 157 signatories and 155 ratifications or accessions to the Ottawa Treaty. There are currently 38 countries that have not signed the treaty, but are able now to assent.

Malaysia on right track about English, says Unesco expert

Malaysia is heading in the right direction in using English to teach science and mathematics in schools, says an international expert on curriculum development in Geneva, Thursday.
International Bureau of Education (IBE) project coordinator Dakmara Ana Georgescu said the trend was happening in many other countries.

"It gives learners great opportunity to have access to materials internationally and access to the Internet," she said during a visit by Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to the institute which has been an integral part of Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).
The IBE's main mission is to function as an international centre for the development of contents and methods of education as well as teaching strategies through curriculum development.
Georgescu, who has been working on education projects in Afghanistan since 2002, said using English as the medium of instruction did not mean neglecting the national language.
"I think you can learn science in your mother tongue as well as I had learned science in my mother tongue which is Romanian.
"But it's also a great opportunity today to be able to have access to concepts and methodologies and to practices in English which is an international language especially in the areas of science and mathematics," she said.
She said choosing English to learn the subjects was a sign of opening to international development and providing immediate access for learners to the most relevant material of worldwide quality.
"While translation takes a lot of time and money, you have to think if it is useful. From what I know , many countries admire you and want to do the same," she said.
She said even in France, a country proud of its language, there had been recommendation for English to be taught in curriculum like mathematics and some aspects of the curriculum should be addressed in English.

Language no barrier as Hishammuddin meets French Senate President...

Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein wraps up a four-day trip to Paris with a lively, warm meeting with the president of the French Senate Christian Poncelet on Wednesday.
So engrossing was their discussion that the minister was able to capture what Poncelet had to say on the various subjects without waiting for the help of the interpreter.

"When you talk on the same wavelength, language is not a barrier," he said after the hour-long meeting with Poncelet, who has been president of the Senate since 1998.
He was accompanied by Malaysia's permanent delegate to the Paris-based Unesco, Kenneth Luis, and two Members of Parliament -- Razali Ismail (Kuala Terengganu) and S.K.Devamany (Cameron Highlands).
Hishammuddin and Poncelet, who was in Malaysia last month for a visit, affirmed the excellent and long-standing bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and France.
They also noted the similar perspectives the two countries shared on global issues.
The minister informed Poncelet of Malaysia's decision to bid for a seat on the Unesco executive board at its 34th general conference this October.
Hishammuddin had met Unesco director-general Koichiro Matsura, who had praised Malaysia's education achievements, and permanent delegates of the other Unesco member countries during his Paris visit.
He also opened an exhibition on Malaysia's education accomplishments over the last 50 years since Independence. The exhibition being held at the Unesco headquarters ends Friday.
Hishammuddin later left for Geneva to visit the International Bureau of Education (IBE), another major agency of Unesco specialising in contents, methods and structures of education.

Malaysia ready for bigger role in Unesco...

Malaysia is ready to play a major role in the 192-member United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein indicated the matter to Unesco director-general Koichiro Matsuura during their meeting at the agency's headquarters in Paris on Monday.
Speaking later at a dinner with the Malaysian community based in the French capital on Monday night, he said Unesco's recognition of Malaysia's success in education would make him work even harder to address the issues.
"Since becoming Education Minister two years ago, I had nothing but problems day in, day out from leaking roofs of computer labs to issues of bullies.
"But coming to Paris and hearing the (Unesco) D-G saying how well we have done, gives me a renewed sense of commitment and drive to make our system better," said Hishammuddin who met Matsuura barely five hours after his arrival here Monday.
Matsuura had stated during an exhibition to celebrate 50 years of Malaysia's education accomplishments being held at the Unesco's headquarters that Malaysia's success provide good lessons for other countries.
Malaysia is bidding for a seat on the Unesco executive board at its 34th general conference here in October.
Consisting 58 members with a four-year term of office, the board examines the work programmes for the organisation and corresponding budget estimates.
Established in 1945, the United Nations agency's stated purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaborations through education, science and culture.
Despite the glowing tribute by Unesco, Hishammuddin said Malaysia would strive to improve its education programmes.
"Recently we launched our five-year plan from 2006 to 2010 called the National Education Blueprint because it is an on-going struggle.
"We are never satisfied with what we have achieved," said a determined Hishammuddin.
The minister, on a four-day visit to France is scheduled to visit a public elementary school, an international institute for educational planning and meet permanent delegates of Unesco member countries today.
He will leave for Geneva on Wednesday night for a one-day visit to Switzerland before returning home.

Hishammuddin Goes To School To Learn About Special Programme...

Education Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein literally went back to classroom today to learn more about integrating visually-impaired students with their normal peers in a primary school.
Seating on a classroom chair, he enquired inquisitively from teacher Valerie Rouget on the challenges faced in implementing such a programme, the tools required and the kind of flexibility needed to make the initiative a success.

"I always believe visually-impaired students should be integrated with normal children in school," he said during a visit to the Ecole Elementary -- the only public elementary school in Paris with a class for the visually- impaired.
Rouget told Hishammuddin she had eight students, aged between 6 and 12, under her care, learning subjects such as Mathematics and French.
Impressed with what he saw at the school, which was built in 1886, Hishammuddin told accompanying officials and the school principal Thierry Jallerat that he had computed in his mind what to do back home.
While the class must be small with not more than 12 students, the leadership of the school and the classroom with the teacher having an autonomy to decide on the progress of the students, were important, he said.
The school-parent relationship was also crucial for the successful implementation of the programme, said Hishammuddin who was accompanied on the visit by the ministry's Director of Educational Technology Division Yusoff Harun and deputy director of teacher-training division Asariah Mior Shaharuddin.

Also in the delegation were Member of Parliament for Kuala Terengganu Razali Ismail and Member of Parliament for Cameron Highlands S.K. Devamany, a former teacher.
The visit to the school, which had an enrolment of 360, was part of the minister's packed schedule for the day, the second of his four-day trip to Paris.
He was later scheduled to host a luncheon for permanent delegates of the 192-member Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) and visit the International Institute for Educational Planning.

Malaysia's education success good lesson for others, says UNESCO DG

Malaysia's achievements in education provide good lessons for other countries, said Unesco Director-General Koichiro Matsuura.
Describing the success since the country's independence as "great", he said progress was made in many significant areas.

He highlighted the country's primary school enrolment which was well over 90 per cent while the children enrolled had a high school life expectancy of near zero dropout rate.
"This shows the success of not only in expanding access to education but also in providing education of high quality," he said at the opening of an exhibition entitled "Celebrating 50 years of Malaysia's Education Accomplishments" with Malaysia's Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein at Unesco's headquarters in Paris.
He said the week-long exhibition would provide an opportunity for others to benefit from Malaysia's experience and progress in education.
This was in line with Unesco's efforts to raise the profile of good practices and promote the sharing of experience, he said.
"We would like to draw lessons from Malaysia's success in education," he said at the function attended by representatives of Unesco member countries.
"Malaysia now allocates over eight per cent of GNP (gross national product) to education, which is a commitment that other countries should follow," he said.
Malaysia has also been successful in emphasising the need for a holistic approach that integrates education into wider development strategies, he added.
Another major progress made by Malaysia was mobilising new technologies to improve the access and quality of education.
He said Malaysia has also shown the far-reaching advantages that information and communication technology (ICT) could bring even to remote and rural areas.
Hishammuddin, who arrived in Paris today for a six-day visit to France and Switzerland, said Malaysia had always given priority to education.
This would be further enhanced under the National Education Blueprint encompassing a five-year plan until 2010.

Glowing Eiffel Tower...

It was such a beautiful sight. Eiffel Tower, the pride of France, glowed in the dark as it sparkles with light in the cool April night.
From my Hilton balcony, I could see the tower standing tall not far from the hotel.