Education for Sonsogon folk bearing fruit
Monday, 24 March 2003 (Source: New Sabah Times)

KOTA MARUDU: Efforts to bring education closer to the Sonsogon folks in the hilly interior of Kota Marudu have begun to bear fruit.

The first clear sign of the success came when three of them passed the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) last year.

The trio, who are now studying in Form One at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tandek, are believed to be the first group of pupils among the highlanders to break the Year Six barrier.

“To the best of my knowledge they are the first group of Sonsogon folks from the hinterland to pursue secondary education. There may be others who have entered secondary school but they are from families who have long ago left their interior homeland and are now residing closer to towns,” Bandau Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said.

But their path to secondary education was as long and winding as the logging tracks which are the only means of access to the area.

It all began in 1995 when Dr Maximus highlighted the plight of the Sonsogon people in and around Kampung Sonsogon Magandai.

A year later the Sabah Journalists Association and Guinness Effort Award Panel responded and built two simple classrooms as part of their community programme.

Initially, a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) school leaver was appointed to teach the Sonsogon children to read and write.

In 1997, the Education Department registered the classroom as Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Sungai Magandai and sent trained teachers, but life remained tough for the pupils as they had to walk for hours to reach the school.

A rural hostel has been built for students to stay in but because of the lack of facilities and the fact that the pupils had to prepare meals for themselves, tapioca on most days, not many were staying there.

On Saturday, a convoy of company officials from Shell, Beras Corporation, Sutera Harbour Resort, journalists and members of the sports and recreation club of the Press and Publication Office of the Chief Minister’s Department departed the state capital to deliver contributions to students there.

Beras Corporation is donating 900kg of rice; the press office is giving mattresses, pillows and clothes; and the SJA and Sutera Harbour are contributing food items and cooking utensils

The delegation had an experience of how Sonsogon people were virtually cut off from the outside world everytime it rained when the convoy, travelling in four-wheel-drive vehicles, had to stop upon reaching Samparita river.

Despite having successfully negotiated the hilly terrains and slippery roads, the mission to SK Sungai Magandai had to be called off once they reached the rain-swollen river.

During the dry season, four-wheel-drive vehicles would be able to wade through the river with little problems. The river, however, went a little wild Saturday and not even the best 4WDs were able to make it to the other side.

The convoy, after consulting the Kota Marudu District Officer, Jane Tan, went to SK Samparita instead and upon learning that the pupils there were also equally in need of assistance, they off-loaded part of the goods and donated them there and then.

Dr Maximus, who is Tandek assemblyman, and SK Samparita headmaster Doris Limun, thanked those involved for the contribution.

The rest of the goods would be delivered to SK Sungai Magandai next month along with computers, printers and a solar panel for electricity.