02/08/2015
Jim Leonard the principal is also Jim Leonard the politician in the prior life, back in Canada. Most people probably wouldn’t know. I am a principal here, today. I was also a principal superintendent for the schoolboard back in Canada. I also worked 5 years with the Ontario Ministry of Education, retiring there as the regional manager and the author of the original office. Those are kind of typical careers path for professional educators. In my spare time in the evening, for 10 years, I also served as an elected school board trustee. In Canada, schoolboard have an elected government of politicians that are elected by the local taxpayers and the jurisdiction of the school board.
In the Eastern part of Ontario, Prescott and Russell, I was a schoolboard trustee for 10 years and 6 of those years; I was chair of the school board. During that time, we built 4 elementary schools and 1 high school as the growing population of English speaking Catholics, part of the province where the majorities were actually French speaking Catholics. And there are few English public school supporters. Anyway, you know, it gave me a different perspective and a different opportunity to learn over the years, make a network of contacts that serves me well in my daytime professional role. And in fact, it was five, no, it was four years of that time, my wife was also an elected school trustee on the same school board. It was a very small, little school board but very, erm kind of different background to have.
Aligned with my interest in politics, my undergraduate studies are majored in political science. Many years ago when I did graduate, *chuckles.* I am older than most of the teachers here that I have been working with on staff. Now I have finished about 41 years in education. I started teaching in September 1974.
“You actually remember that.”
Yes. It’s still going strong here but erm, it’s been interesting in my post retirement job here in Malaysia. Six and a half year, I feel very local and Malaysian now. I have great interest politically in the country but of course, an observer working in the country, I never been able to say publically of what I like to say. Probably a lot of Malaysian doesn’t feel comfortable to say what they like to say as well.
Here in Malaysia, right now, as someone who is an observer of Malaysia and live the life in Malaysia, somebody who is 6 and a half year here in the country, I always answer when somebody inquire when I am shopping, “Oh where did you come from?” I tell them proudly, “I come from Subang Jaya.” It totally confuses them.
I think ultimately, as an educator, I have to say, I would agree with the Sultan of Johor, in his great wisdom arguing for the implementation of English as the medium of instruction in the national schools. It would certainly help ordinary Malaysian to acquire the skills they need for economy prosperity and success. Even if it is just election for some schools to use English medium and other schools to use Bahasa Malaysia. But at least the Maths and Science used to be taught in English, some compromises down the middle. Compromising is very Canadian, trying to keep everybody happy. But clearly the fact is that Malaysians who have money in their family, including the top politicians can choose to send their children to English medium school in Malaysia and indeed to other countries like the Australia and the U.K or Singapore. But ordinary Malaysians who don’t have the money for private education need to rely on the national school system. And frankly, I think it’s failing many Malaysian and there seems to be a lots of data in that regard. When the deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin, said that he can’t understand why the Malaysian school system is not getting the result for the money that they poured into, I think he need to get some outside experts and listen to them because there are many people who have recommendation that would help him because he apparently doesn’t know why.
Anyway, that is just an opinion of an observer from the outside wishing that many Malaysians that I call friends and colleague that I have met in 6 and a half years will have an opportunity for their children to prosper and have a better future, being better qualified with more than one language. And be on that, I just send my thanks and appreciation to be at Taylors College, to work with fantastic students who really are a dream.
“I am just wondering, of all the places, why Malaysia?”
Why Malaysia? Ah… It’s just an opportunity, quite frankly. There was a position vacant; I was at the right place at the right time, talking to right people with my network of contacts. And I came out to visit the college, only 6 weeks later; my wife and I were on the leaving on a plane from Canada to come here, so it was really fast. I know that it was coming up for my retirement date in Ontario and really wanted to international education experience. Why Malaysia? When I’ve been recruiting many, many teachers for the last 6 and a half years, I tell them that Malaysia is the best country in Asia for an English speaking Western person, certainly, to come to. English is widely spoken, particularly in KL and in Selangor, and those big cities. You have English media, radio, television, newspapers. Although the printed media is a little bias, but still it’s available. And when you are out shopping in a shopping centre, I feel quite comfortable and I know our teachers do. So it’s a very good country from that perspective to be in. And the quality of the students and the interest of certainly all the staffs in Taylors college to be the best that we can be and offer the best possible education to the young people, both national and International that come here. It makes it very gratifying and sad that staffs to leave and I am among them these years. It’s nice personally to be closer to our children and grandchildren in Canada, but erm, I will miss everybody here. And I am hope in retirement, I don’t drive my wife too crazy, *chuckles.* Adjusting to retirement, it has been a wonderful opportunity that I think anyone would be lucky to have to come here.
