​​​ One Step at a Time

​​​ One Step at a Time

SMK Taman Ehsan, Kepong Selangor Darul Ehsan

Project Initiator 2013  : Madam Patifah Shamduddin, Past Principal

                                        Ananda Devan, Project Lead Researcher and Implementer

​                                        School Board of Governors (PIBG)

​New Leadership : Mr. Ilayamaran, Current Principal ​​

SMK Taman Ehsan a secondary school located at Kepong (Selangor). In 2013 the school was selected with the support of school leadership Madam Patifah Shamduddin that welcomed the new concept and came forward to Pilot the “ Shift 9 ” as the first school in Malaysia even before the incorporation of SASTRA.  After various discussions, revising strategies, time and combination of expertise from Private and Public sector have further strengthened the project as a team. SMK Taman Ehsan took the lead in State of Selangor and as the first school in Malaysia who collaborated and ready to pilot with SASTRA, Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE), State Education Office (Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri, JPN) and District Education Office (Pejabat Pelajaran Daerah,PPD).

Although other schools were keen and have approached SASTRA, SASTRA remain to focus in working with one school in each state who will lead as “Role Model” for other schools in further stages. This is also due to the limited funding SASTRA has at present moment and to ensure this project is sustainable. SASTRA pursued to implement Methodology 1 by identifying and hiring graduates who are unemployed and have genuine passion to be at schools. SASTRA, finding indicated that more than 500,000 graduates are not employed. In addition, teachers are not able to be employed due to limited funding and some have no interest to work at schools and prefers not to be in schools when they have to repay their education loan.  

To validate further, SASTRA identified graduates who are keen to be at schools and resulted 2 full time team members was employed and .placed at SMK Taman Ehsan to carry out the project as planned. Further internship opportunities were provided and the total expenditure of the team members were funded 100% by SASTRA with the research grant. SASTRA identified that not all graduates have the passion to be at school although they completed their studies related to education or teaching. SASTRA clearly understands that this outcome can be related to the "Advantage and Disadvantage" of hiring millennial generation mainly at schools as many researchers, journals and publication have stated about Generation Y and Z characteristic mainly as educators.

A Gen Y falls between Year (1981 - 1995), Gen Z (1995 onwards), Gen X (1961 -1980), Baby Boomers (1945-1960), and Maturist (Pre 1945). Today, SMK Taman Ehsan as the Central Satellite School is continuing to take the initiative with all stakeholders to support all surrounding school in the District of Gombak, Selangor by overcoming its challenges one step at a time. SASTRA continues to work with the school administrations, leadership in various areas to ensure a collective effort is achieved. Furthermore, SMK Taman Ehsan is ready to transfer the knowledge to other school from all over Malaysia.