SMK Pendidikan Khas Persekutuan

Infobox Secondary School
name = Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas Persekutuan
motto =
established = 1954
type = Government-Aided Boarding Secondary School
principal = Mrs. Mui Siew Koon
grades = Form 1 - Form 5
address = 600H, Jalan Lembah Permai, 11200 Tanjung Bungah
city = George Town
free_label_2 = Phone no.
free_2 = 04-8907313 / 8905115
state = Penang
country = Malaysia
free_label_1 = Abbreviation
free_1 = FSD

SMK Pendidikan Khas Persekutuan or Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pendidikan Khas Persekutuan was formerly known as Federation School for the Deaf. Located at its current site at 600H, Jalan Lembah Permai, 11200 Tanjung Bungah. It was the pioneer deaf school in Malaysia.

History of the establishment

In 1952, Dr. C. Elaine Field, a medical specialist visited Penang to treat the deaf children. She met and interviewed some of the deaf children about their welfare. Dr. Field realised that there were no education programs for the deaf children. Instead of there is a special school for the blind children. Due to the situation, Dr. Field met Her Excellency Lady Edith Margery Templer, who was the wife of Sir Gerald Templer, British High Commissioner in Malaya, where Lady Templer was at her official visit to Penang.

Lady Templer understood the needs of the deaf children. Therefore, on 9 December 1952 she immediately chaired a special meeting at the Residency (official residence for the Governor of Penang). As a result, the board of committee members agreed that funds will chanelled for the establishment of a deaf school.

Therefore, in 1954, the Federation School for the Deaf was officially opened its door at No. 47, Northam Road, Penang. It was the most prestigious and the pioneer school in Malaya. Despite that, the school only offered education until primary standard. Mr. R.P. Bingham, who was the Commissioner Resident of Penang, supported the establishment and became the first Chairman of the Board of Governors and served for three years terms.

The school at the early (1954 - 1961]

Miss J.M. Hickes was appointed as the first principal of the school. At the beginning, the school housed only seven students and two teachers. The age of boarding the school was not limited, some students entered the school at the age of 3 or 4 and some at 9. At the year 1959, the number of students increased to 60 students. Students who completed their Standard 6 ("a Malaysian Education level systems") will not further their education, but will be given opportunity to work in skill training such as sewing, woodworking and repairing. At that time, the school was not funded by the Malaysian Government, but was organised by volunteers and Non-Government Organisation. Therefore, the school have no any guidelines for the schooling programs either for formal education nor vocational training.

Towards the secondary education (1961 - 1970)

At the beginning of the establishment of FSD, came Miss Lee Kooi Jong a volunteery who work as the Secretary to the Board of Governors. Miss Lee ("later converted to Islam with a name Dato' Hajah Saleena Yahaya Isa"). She was recommended by Dr. Field. Dr. Field who was also the member of the borad, told Miss Lee about the plan for a deaf school in Penang. Miss Lee who was a nurse, worked at Penang General Hospital. Miss Lee does not hesitate to help those unfortunate especially children, she has a kinded heart to children. After, Miss Lee accomplished her study at Teachers' Training College in 1953, she started to teach at the Anglo Chinese Girls' School. Later, Dr. Field urged her to help at FSD, so without hesitation, Miss Lee taught the Anglo Chinese Girls' School during morning session and FSD at the evening.

In 1961, Miss J.M. Hicks resigned her post, and was preceded by Miss Lee. Under Miss Lee, the school faced many changes. The first step, she took was held a meeting with the businessmen and entrepreneurs in Penang. She urged them to give an opportunity to the deaf children to gain working experience from their companies. Therefore, from that year onwards, FSD students who completed their Standard 6 will received working offer from companies such as printing, sewing, and many other skill learning sectors. The aim of Miss Lee is to supply a wholesome exposure in living skills, so when her students leave the school, they can able to stand with their own feet with confidence and independent.

Secondary education was not offered in FSD, so Mrs. Saleena (Miss Lee) increased the length of courses from 6 years to 10 years. Starting from Class 1 until 10. Classes for 8, 9 and 10 will be given vocational training after school. Everyday 2 p.m. students will be attached for "on-the-job-training" program. While, Mrs. Saleena registered a group of students to seat for the Lower Certificate of Education (L.C.E.) in 1969. She motivated the teachers to work hard prepared the students for the final examination, which was important to all of them. Mrs. Saleena efforts were paid off when all her students passed 100% the L.C.E in that year. Therefore, FSD earned the attention from the government, finally a secondary education was offered at FSD in 1970.

Due to the rapid growth and development, FSD unable to sustain the myriad number of students at Northam Road. So the Board of Governors, tried to relocated the school to a new site.

Therefore, at the end of 1963, a piece of 12 hectre of land at Jalan Lembah Permai (Lembah Permai Road). The land was bought from Penang Realty Ltd. with 65 cents per feet square. The late Mr Loh Boon Siew, (later carried the title Tan Sri)who is also the Director of Penang Realty Ltd. sponsored 15 cents per feet square, while the school only pay 50 cents per feet square. The Ministry of Rural Deveploment of Malaysia contributed $500,000 for the construction of school buildings. The school at Northam Road was sold at the price $340,000 for funding the new school at Tanjung Bungah. According to the agreement made by the school and the buyer, the school authorities can use the old premis until 2 years later, soon after the new school open in 1965. Unfortunately, the school did not complete built after two years. While the contract with the buyer at Northam Road almost come to the end. The Board of Governors sugessted that the school will close down until the problem is solve. But the principal, Mrs. Saleena objected the suggestion... she said that

A child's loss of one day's education cannot be restored. Imagine if it's your child...!

Mrs. Saleena kept on searching for a propriate place for continuing the education. While waiting for the new school to complete. She turned for the State Education Department through the Inspector of Chinese Schools, as a result Shih Chung Primary School was chosen to accommodate the FSD students for afternoon session. The hostels problem also solved, the boys will be placed at Charity Home next to Eastern & Oriental Hotel, while the girls at Poh Leung Kok (now Cheshire Home). The school's office will premised at the Trustees Office at the High Court. Soon after the 6 months, the school was divided into small pieces finally attached in a same building at Poh Leung Kok. When the authorities of Poh Leung Kok approved the school to utilised the whole premise.

FSD as a government aided school

The school was finally reopened in 1970, the opening ceremony was attended by the first Malaysians Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman. At the same time, the school was granted as the first deaf school to received the status as government aided school.

From Oral Communication to Total Communication

The deaf students achieved excellent in both academic and vocational drastically. At the beginning, Form 4 and 5 students will be attached to normal schools such as Sekolah Menengah Jelutong and Sekolah Menengah Tanjung Bungah in Penang. However, it was learnt that the deaf students found difficulty to cope with the learning process at that schools. Therefore, FSD later gave higher secondary education to those students who passed the L.C.E. or S.R.P

Eleanor Culas who was the first FSD student to study at Gallaudet University, which is a special education university for deaf students at Washington D.C., U.S.A.. She was impressed with the "Manual Signs" method used by the deaf communities in the United States. She convinced that this method will be useful for the use in Malaysia, Culas was not satisfy with the current system used in Malaysia, where a Machester-based Oral method was adopted. Therefore, Eleanor asked Prof. Frances M. Parsons, who was a sign language expert, to stop-by in Malaysia and share his expertise in the "Manual Signs" or "Total Communication" with the FSD teachers.

In 1976, Prof. Parsons visited FSD. She stayed at the school and persuaded Mrs. Saleena and other teachers that the Total Communication can help increasing the understanding and mastering the sign language. In order to prove the effectiveness, Prof. Parsons started a Total Communication class and demonstrated the "Manual Sign" method to the FSD teachers for one month. Meanwhile, Mrs. Saleena arranged a meeting between Prof. Parsons with Dr. Mahathir bin Mohammad, who was the Minister of Education. Prof. Parsons explained the system to Dr. Mahathir that its effectiveness compare to the oral method. Due to the meeting, the Ministry of Education approved a "Pilot Class" that used only Total Communication and FSD was chosen as the first deaf school to experiment with this method. The class was given 5 years to test its effectiveness. However, after 3 years of probation, the Total Communication students' achievement far better than the Oral communication class.

The school development (1980s)

List of FSD principals

(1954 - 1961) Miss J.M. Hicks (Mrs. J.M. Sundram)

(1961 - 1987) Mrs. Saleena Yahaya Isa (Miss Lee Kooi Jong)

(1987 - 1990) Mr. Francis Chai Voon Oon

(1990 - 1995) Mrs. Chan Sew Lian

(1995 - 1996) Mrs. Yeoh Suan Choo

(1997 - present) Mrs. Mui Siew Koon

References

* [http://www.rit.edu/~msl8363/fsd50/main.html Federation School for the Deaf Alumni Penang, Malaysia]
* [http://www.epekak.net.my/personaliti.html Leon Lim's interviews with FSD (Federation School for the Deaf) Alumnus for Malaysia Federation of the Deaf]
* [http://202.133.98.132/sciSC/node/78672?tid=35 Sin Chew Daily's interview with Leon Lim, alumni of the FSD. 17 August 2008]
* [http://http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/SundayPeople/article/Features/20080809173156/Article/index_html New Straits Times' interview with the alumni of Federation School for the Deaf. 10 August 2008]
* [http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/7/12/north/21783691&sec=north The Star Newspaper has interviewed with Leon Lim, alumni of Federation School for the Deaf Alumni, Penang, Malaysia. 12 July 2008]
* [http://www.bharian.com.my/Current_News/BH/Friday/Wilayah/20080711101248/Article/index_html Berita Harian Online's interview with Federation School for the Deaf Alumni, LEON LIM. 10 July 2008]
* [http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2008/06/178_25742.html The Korean Times' interview with Federation School for the Deaf Alumni, Leon Lim. 11 June 2008]
* [http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/07/148_28341.html The Korean Times' story on Leon Lim's exhibition in Total Museum of Contemporary Art. 28 July 2008]