Cameron Highlands teacher’s touching tale of Standard One girl who couldn’t afford school uniform

PETALING JAYA, Sept 19 — The impact teachers have on their students is often the most rewarding part of the job.

A teacher at the remote primary school of Sekolah Kebangsaan Lemoi, Cameron Highlands shared the touching story of a student who could not afford a school uniform and had been wearing regular clothes to school since being enrolled earlier this month.

The teacher, who posted on Twitter via @bungolale, managed to look for a new uniform for the child on Monday from the school’s available stock, but the eventual reaction was priceless.

“Each time she walks past a mirror, she would look at her reflection and blush. As soon as she enters the classroom, her classmates would applaud and she would continue to blush,” @bungolale wrote.

The Pahang teacher explained that the student registered late because her family had just returned to the rural town in Cameron Highlands.

She suspected the girl’s father forgot his daughter was ready for school before a check on records revealed the girl had turned seven.

“So her dad brought her to school and she wore whatever she had because they could not afford a school uniform.

“I had just searched for a pair at the school’s supplies room, good thing there was a small pair.

“It’s a little big but Suraini happily wore them. She must be proud to see the new her, to be the 'same' as her classmates,” @bungolale wrote.

The teacher ended her post by wishing the newly enrolled student a great time at school.

The series of tweets have been receiving praise from social media users who thanked the teacher for her efforts.

Others also offered well wishes for the student, only known as Suraini.

“This tweet made my day. Even though I don’t know you and your students personally but the impact is meaningful,” wrote @AnnaScorpio.

It is understood that @bungolale is the first female teacher to teach at an Orang Asli village in Pahang.

The passionate educator has been sharing her experiences of teaching indigenous kids on social media for the last nine years.

In 2016, she published a book titled Lemoi under the name Bungo Lale which documents her life as a teacher in rural Cameron Highlands.

Related Articles Sarawak's rural schools face blackout on first day Years after promise made, residents of Sabah village still waiting for secondary school