Zero to 12: Tapping into potential

Having spent 40 years in the education industry, Dr Suzanne Collins recently added another feather to her already decorated cap with her appointment as Nilai International School’s new principal last month. She accepted the position because of her familiarity with the Malaysian education context, having been the principal in another international school in Kuching for five years prior to this position.

Having spent 40 years in the education industry, Dr Suzanne Collins recently added another feather to her already decorated cap with her appointment as Nilai International School’s new principal last month. She accepted the position because of her familiarity with the Malaysian education context, having been the principal in another international school in Kuching for five years prior to this position.

The Nilai International School (NIS) is located in Negri Sembilan amidst a beautifully landscaped and lush setting away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The school offers the British Cambridge curriculum for both primary and secondary levels. It boasts world-class facilities such as music and art rooms, cafeteria, library, science laboratories, ICT facilities and computers and hostels. Its sport facilities include an extensive sports complex and a gymnasium, an external basketball court and indoor swimming pool. Bus services are also provided for its students who come from as far as Kuala Lumpur, besides the surrounding Seremban and Sepang areas.

Believing in its potential, Dr Collins hopes to see NIS become the top international school in the country. “A measure of a school or a teacher or a child is not something you can simply rate as A, B or C. It’s the child’s potential and how you can tap into it,” she says. “In order to do that, the school must be staffed with innovative and happy teachers, who in turn, will produce innovative and happy children, who will perform well in school.”

Drawing from her teaching experience in New Zealand, Australia and the UK, Dr Collins acknowledges that teaching in Malaysia is slightly different. “In an international school setting, it should not be different at all,” she says, “but the reality is there are a lot of English as a second language learners, and students who have experienced a wide range of curricula and ways of teaching and learning.”

The expectations of the parents are also different. In a western education system, there is more acceptance that children develop at a different rate. That is why at NIS, Dr Collins strives to develop a school curriculum that is all inclusive and capitalises on the children’s inquiring nature. Tasks in classrooms should be relevant, of interest, challenging but achievable, have an element of choice on how the students demonstrate their learning, and fun.

As the principal, Dr Collins’ role includes administrative duties, which is challenging due to the competitive nature of the international education landscape. When faced with challenges, Dr Collins likes to escape the confines of the office and talk to the children or even have lunch with them at the canteen. According to her, talking to children helps her to absorb their natural positive disposition and serves also as a reminder as to why she works so hard to do better for the children’s future.

As a passionate educator, being in Malaysia is a privilege to Dr Collins because she believes that she still has a lot to contribute and is excited to take a young school to a higher level. “All parents want the best possible education for their child,” she says, “and it is up to us to try to provide that and do whatever it takes to meet their individual needs.”

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Zero to 12: Tapping into potential

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