Push for Bible Knowledge in schools
Published on: Wednesday, July 10, 2019
By: Winnie Kasmir
SANDAKAN: Upko is working to ensure that Bible Knowledge (BK) will be taught in schools, especially for students who are taking the subject for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination in Malaysia.
“This is a continuation of Upko’s efforts and challenges derived from our Honorary President Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, whose objective is to include BK as an elective subject in SPM,” the party’s Supreme Council Member and Libaran Division Chairman Dr Peter Jr Naintin said.
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At the beginning, many Christian students were not keen to take the Bible Knowledge subject for SPM, he said.
“However, we discovered that more and more Christian students have taken the Bible Knowledge examination since we have launched various awareness campaigns in 2011.
“I was also informed that there are thousands of Christian students throughout Malaysia who will be taking (the) Bible Knowledge examination this year,” Peter said.
“We are so grateful with the unending support from our Upko President, Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, especially on the contribution of 300 sets of textbooks (the Gospel of Luke and the Acts) to Christian students who are taking Bible Knowledge subject,” Peter said.
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Earlier this year, they distributed textbooks to SM St Mary, SMK Konven St Cecilia, SM Sung Siew, SM Tiong Hua, and SM St Michael in Sandakan.
“It was through a collective effort of Upko Religious, Spirituality and Racial Harmony Councils headed by Sualim Gopog that we were able to order and distribute the text books to more than 1,500 Christian students in Sabah as they are not sold here.”
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Peter encouraged Christian students to take the Bible Knowledge examination in SPM with good preparation through group study.
“There are various benefits that we can gain from studying Bible Knowledge. We can learn about positive core values, guidance for good life, and principles of leadership,” he said at the 23rd National SPM Bible Knowledge Quiz 2019 (BK 19), recently.
The event saw a record 466 Christian students and more than 59 teachers and volunteers from 15 schools in the Sandakan district converging at SM St Mary.
“Now, I can see the faces of students and teachers beaming with happiness as we have set a new history with the highest student participation in Malaysia,” he said.
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