This month exactly 50 years ago I sat for Cambridge School Certificate/Federation of Malaysia Certificate of Education examinations.
This week on the 18th November 2009 Aizat the eldest of my 8 grandchildren is experiencing his first taste of the equivalent public examination – SPM-Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia. This year saw some 600plus thousands of candidates compared to a couple of thousand five decades ago.
Looking back, our school days back then were totally different from what they are today. Secondary School Educations were only in big towns. As there were no hostel facilities, students from the rural areas have to travel the long journey to school by bus. It was time consuming as well expensive. There was no other alternative; either attends school in town or abandon studies. Some of my classmates from the rural areas opted for the latter. I nearly drop out of school as Father was ill - suffering from terminal disease. But Father was adamant and forced me to continue my study in town.
Taking the long journey to school by bus meaning waking up at 5.00 am each morning to catch the 1st bus to town at 6.00 am. At times I cycled the 30 km route, because I could not afford the monthly bus fare.
Later we shared a rented room at the rear of a Malay Barber Shop at Masjid Melayu, Teluk Anson (now Teluk Intan). The room was small only enough as sleeping area for the 6 of us. Most nights after Isha prayers we normally parked ourselves in unused spaces at the mosque doing our preparatory studies. Practically we live and study in the mosque. The Imam was kind enough allowing us to use the mosque facilities. We were also given excess to some empty room at his Mardarsah next door, only if we could effort candles for light.
Text books were expensive as they were all published and printed in England. For each year RM100.00+ needed for text books alone. The amount equivalent to RM1000.00 today. Then again there were the monthly school fees and other club fees to be paid.
At times l secretly work odd jobs to help eased the family burden. But Father did not like the idea. Once he found out, for weeks he ignored me. (Maybe he was too proud that I was the only lad from our neighbourhood studying in an English School in town then.) Mother explained that I need the extra money for my schooling. Instead Father pledged to sell out the little property he had to support my study through Form 5.
According to Mother the only property he had then was our house and the plot where it stood. Selling it, meaning our family had no other place to go.
I remember while in Form 4 and during the school Third Term Holiday, I got myself employed as a temporary clerk at a Pineapple Canning Factory for 6 weeks. I was paid RM180.00 for the job. Part of the income was used for my extra pair of new school uniforms, costs of Form 5 text books as well payment for SC/FMC Examination Fees.
Throughout my Form 5 studies, Father’s illness was getting worse and most of the time he was bedridden. Meaning I had to shoulder all the family’s shortcomings, as well prepare for my SC/FMC Examinations. For a 17+ years old, it was the most challenging period of my life.
That was how it was.
Alhamdullillah we managed to overcome all obstacles. I scraped through. The SC/FMC examination results were published in the English Dailies early the following year. I was overjoyed with the result and so was Father. He kept the newspaper cutting under his pillow and eagerly showed them to whoever visited him on his sickbed.
Alas Father passed away a couple of months later at the age of 52.
Alfatihah.
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