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KOTA KINABALU – The success of a vocational teacher from Sabah in becoming the global winner of the 2022 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Award has won praise from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong.
Khalifa Affnan from the Keningau Vocational College won the award beating over 7,000 nominations from 113 countries.
He was shortlisted as one of the regional winners from Australia, New Zealand, and the Southeast Asia region.
In a statement issued by Istana Negara today, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah congratulated Khalifa on the accomplishment.
“Both the Seri Paduka Baginda expressed their joy and are proud of his success which at the same time puts Malaysia’s name on the international stage.
“Khalifa Affnan had created history by becoming the first teacher from Malaysia picked to win the award and the first in his region, in his achievement by starting a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) project,” the statement said.
The king and queen also expressed hope his success would inspire Khalifa and other Malaysians to work hard and achieve more tremendous success in their respective fields.
A press release from the Cambridge University Press said the Dedicated Teacher Awards is a global competition that recognises and celebrates the efforts of educators around the world.
Khalifa was recognised for the award for his achievement in initiating a STEM project where he trains students in robotics, drones, coding, and other technology-based disciplines.
His effort has increased the active participation of female students and special needs learners in STEM activities.
Khalifa credited his success to his late grandfather, a language teacher who he said faced many challenges in his life but remained resilient and creative.
“I am happy to say I will continue to do what I do thanks to the satisfaction of seeing my students develop new skills and benefit from the STEM programmes,” he said of his win.
Khalifa became passionate about STEM when he participated in a teacher exchange programme organised by the Teacher Professionalism Division.
“The experience broadened my mind about the world of technology and opened my eyes to the mechanics behind drones, robotics, coding and many more.
“This fuelled my passion for teaching ICT-based subjects, on top of the language-based subjects I already teach. I am most grateful to the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards for giving me this recognition and motivating me to drive forward,” he said. – The Vibes, May 27, 2022
