KUALA KANGSAR: A rural secondary school with only 653 students, mostly
from lower-income families who hardly use English at home, has become the
first to sign up for the RHB-NST Spell-It-Right Challenge.

SMK Sayong is not as well-known as its illustrious neighbours such as
the Malay College and Clifford School. But teacher Sazlina Suriati Samah,
head of the school's English panel, went to the RHB Bank branch in this
riverside town on Monday to make sure her school would be among the first
to register.

The SIR secretariat received the school's entry forms and RHB banking
slip as proof of payment yesterday.

Sazlina said: "We identified our participants last week. As soon as we
had the entry form (first published last Saturday), we filled it up and
got our principal's endorsement.

"But we had to wait till Monday to do the banking."
She said she and her students had their principal's support and
encouragement.

"This competition is something I've been waiting for all these years. I
want my students to believe that whatever other people can do, we can,
too. It doesn't matter which school you are from.

"It is your attitude and hard work that will get you places."

SMK Sayong's four contestants will be second-formers Nur Yasmine
Khairul Azman and Afifah Hamizan, both 14, third-former Ahmad Salleh
Yahya, 15, and fourth-former Sayed Muhamad Fauzan Sayed Ahmad Ghazali, 16.

Sazlina said: "I have faith in them. We'll give it our best shot and
the rest is up to God."

The SIR challenge, organised by the New Straits Times and RHB Banking
Group, is divided into two categories, for primary and secondary schools,
and will be conducted in two stages: the state challenge and the national
challenge.

The state challenge is open to 36 schools in each state, each of which
will be represented by four contestants. The nine top spellers will
qualify for the state finals.

The state champion and runner-up in the primary school category will
win RM1,000 and RM800 respectively, while the second runner-up will get
RM500.

The top three schools will be awarded the same amounts.
The state champion and runner-up in the secondary school category will
win RM2,000 and RM1,500 respectively, while the second runner-up will get
RM1,000, with the top three schools also receiving equivalent amounts.

The state champions will compete in the national challenge in August.
For details of the challenge, look out for entry forms in the NST.