GEORGE TOWN – Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Permai in Bayan Baru is among three schools shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prizes for the innovation category through its creation of the Smart and Easy Table (SnET) 2.0.
SK Seri Permai, which has 1,500 students, is the only school in Malaysia to be shortlisted for that category.
It has designed an innovation to lighten the burden faced by students carrying heavy school bags, which can pose a health risk.
SK Seri Permai headmaster Mohammad Sabarullah Shaik Ismail thanked all parties, including the school staff, for their encouragement that helped SK Permai emerge as one of the world’s top three schools in the SnET 2.0 innovation category.
He said the innovation, the first in Malaysia and the world, not only addressed the issue of heavy bags, reducing it from seven to 10 kg to about 2.5 kg for each student but was also capable of boosting students’ confidence and making it a joy for them to attend school.
“Alhamdulillah, with this success, SK Seri Permai has managed to be listed as the top three in the world and we hope to emerge victorious.
“This innovation of mine, with the help of the teachers, can create a more conducive learning atmosphere for students and has even attracted the interest of several other countries to produce SnET 2.0 in their schools,” he told reporters today.
Mohammad Sabarullah was met after the announcement of the list online by the United Kingdom-based T4 Education today, which was later greeted with loud cheers from the school’s teachers and students.
Also present was Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Dr Mohamad Abdul Hamid.
Apart from SK Seri Permai, two other schools listed in the top three are Crimson Global Academy of New Zealand and The Riverside School of India.
Elaborating, Mohammad Sabarullah said the innovation had led to an increase in students submitting their homework from 54% to 91%, in addition to an improvement in school performance as it had succeeded in boosting the well-being of students.
“To lighten the burden of carrying heavy school bags, the desks used by the students are designed with two drawers each that can be locked so that the morning and afternoon session students can keep their books separately and not lug them around daily.
“The desks also have three compartments each on the sides for the students to place their water bottles and stationery,” he said. – September 12, 2023