TAYLOR’S College recently recognised Shawn Stanly Anthony Dass as this year’s RISE Educator Award winner. The teacher at a remote village in Gerik, Perak, was awarded RM5,000 for his achievement and RM20,000 for his school, Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) RPS Banun.
The five teachers with the most votes were Dass, Anne Margarette Kho from SK Belipat in Sarawak, Muhammad Anas Murugan Abdullah from SK Seri Intan in Perak, Siti Ainulmursyida Shamsudin from SMK Orkid Desa in Kuala Lumpur and Siti Intan Farahana Mhd Fauzy from SK Bandar Laguna Merbok in Kedah.
At the award ceremony, Taylor’s College campus director Josephine Tan said: “We believe in ensuring every child has equal opportunities to learn, grow and thrive. We aim to foster lifelong learning, inspire innovation and nurture every student’s potential.”
The award ceremony was also attended by Education Deputy Minister Wong Kah Woh and Teach For Malaysia interim head of fellowship Sawittri Charun.
Teach For Malaysia is a not-for-profit organisation that actively develops solutions to end education inequity.
It was the innovative pedagogical approaches practised by Dass that profoundly enriched student learning and engagement at SK RPS Banun, an all-Orang Asli school, where illiteracy and dropout rates are high.
His notable projects include the development of a flight simulator and a beach-themed marine conservation class, both of which have been instrumental in helping students grasp complex concepts through experiential learning.
