Don’t stop seeking knowledge, teachers advised
New Straits Times - 17 May 2006
KUALA LUMPUR: Teach yourself first so that you will be better at teaching others.

Seventy-three-year-old Azizah Md Taib, one of this year’s Tokoh Guru recipients, believes that those in the teaching profession should continuously seek to better themselves regardless of age.

"Teachers have to always have that thirst for knowledge and attend courses. I’m so old and yet I still go for courses because there are always new things to learn," she said in an interview.

Azizah was the Inspector of Schools in Perlis from 1984 to 1987. She was also the first woman to be appointed as a member of the Malay Customs and Islamic Council in Perlis in 1977.

Two other recipients of the award were Datuk Wira Borhan Md Yaman, 75, and Professor Dr Hussein Ahmad, 64. They received their awards from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi in conjunction with the 35th National Teachers’ Day celebration at the PWTC yesterday.

Echoing Abdullah’s speech which urged teachers to be committed in their profession, Borhan said teachers should be serious in what they did.

"Teachers are a student’s guide in character development. Unemployed graduates cannot think that they can take it easy by taking up teaching as a profession." 

Borhan was the Malacca adult education coordinator from 1964 to 1970. He was also the recipient of the Malacca state-level Tokoh Guru award in 1989 and is a published poet. 

Prof Hussein has been in the teaching profession for more than 42 years and is currently a professor at the Institute of Principalship Studies in Universiti Malaya.

He advised public and private universities to hold more programmes to encourage the growth of high quality human capital.

The award recipients were given a certificate, a trophy and RM10,000 each. 

Meanwhile, Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Awang Had Salleh received the Tokoh Kepimpinan (Leadership) award
Source: www.nst.com.my