OIC should think about setting up secular education institutes; schools, vocation schools, colleges and universities for all the people around the wor

OIC should think about setting up secular education institutes; schools, vocation schools, colleges and universities for all the people around the world like what the Christians had done.

Just read this story in Malaysiakini- – -

Never in his wildest dreams did Khor Chun Hock think that he will achieve anything in his life, looking at the circumstances he was in prior to 1994.

He joined the La Salle Learning Centre in Penang, where he stayed and studied at the St Joseph’s home.



He can only thank the volunteers who spent countless hours grooming the students to endure the harsh life outside.

“The social skills taught in the learning centre helped me a lot when I went out looking for work,” said Khor.

la salle school 231209 schoolThe centre provided him a place to pick up skills and build his self confidence and moulded him into a better person.

There are many youngsters who face obstacles in moving forward just like Khor due to learning difficulties and a poor family.

The current education system does not favour the disadvantaged children, according to Bro John D’Cruz of La Salle Brothers who founded this learning centre in 1984.

“It focuses on subjects and knowledge, whereas I focus on basic skills like reading and writing,” said Bro John, who was roped in by the late Father Lucien Catel to help the children at the St Joseph’s Home.

la salle school 231209 classroomThe impact of La Salle brothers is immeasurable. They have touched millions of lives during their 157 years of existence in Malaysia.

The legacy of the La Salle brothers in Malaysia started in March 1852 when the brothership completed a three-month voyage and harboured in Singapore.

Six Brothers went on to take charge of St Joseph’s Institution, Singapore and St Xavier’s Institution in Penang. They have never looked back since.

Selfless servce is their ethos, and it is well reflected in the manifestation of their deeds. Products of La Salle institutions grace the upper reaches of the Malaysian socio-political life.

For the others, the life skills taught by the brothers are being to put to good use to be upright citizens and earn a decent living in the blue collar industry.

Unyielding gratitude

Another proud product of this institution who found the methodology very beneficial is Sylvester Kumar, 31, who works for a major telecommunications firm.

“I started schooling only at the age of 12. I had to catch up with my classmates by learning my alphabets, reading and writing at the learning center,” said Kumar.

He was full of praise for the volunteers who committed themselves to guiding the students to improve themselves.

If not for them and Bro John, Kumar said he would not be where he is now, and his gratitude to them is unyielding.

Melvin Anantha Dawson, a classmate of Sylvester, also echoed Sylvester’s view of the volunteers.

“The volunteers really put in great effort to teach us, not only the skills, but about relationships as well. We learnt to interact with the adults,” said Melvin.

la salle school 231209 exco“The volunteers who were mostly elderly people were very friendly and approachable. They gave us the confidence to face the world.”

Self-reliance was also stressed on the students when Bro John started the Facilitation Training Programme in 1996.

“Training them on how to facilitate is like teaching them how to fish, instead of giving them a fish,” said Bro John.

“These facilitators will then go out on their own and start Learning Centres, and later on, they will then in turn train others.”

Thus far, Bro John and the volunteers have trained 54 facilitators, and there are 16 learning centres in the country, including Singapore.

In this way, said Bro John, the La Sallian family is ever growing – many people are also now part of the La Sallian family.

In June this year, with the retirement of the last La Salle brother principal, the Roman Catholic teaching order came to an end.

But the legacy of the order, founded by St John Baptiste de La Salle, will nevertheless be perpetuated by the proud products of the institutions of the La Salle brothers.