KOTA KINABALU: Sunway College Kuching, in a strategic collaboration with the Sabah State Education Department recently conducted a workshop and professional sharing session for 34 secondary school principals from four districts in Sabah.
The programme, titled ‘Scaffolding Higher Order Thinking in the A.I. Era and Professional Accounting Career Sharing’, was held at the Sabah State Education Department and aimed to equip school leaders with the knowledge and strategies to navigate the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence on education.
The event was officiated by the Assistant Director of TVET Unit, Learning Sector, on behalf of the Sabah State Education Department, Mustafah Mad Yasin.
Chief Executive Officer of Sunway College Kuching, Dr Owen Voon Boo Khoon, highlighted the critical role of principals as architects of their schools’ learning ecosystems.
“We are in an era where artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing how we teach and how students learn. Principals are not just administrators, they are the key to building a culture of higher-order thinking,” he said in the press statement on Thursday (June 25).
“This workshop is designed to provide them with the scaffolding needed to support their students in becoming critical, creative, and sharpen innovative thinker skills that machines cannot replace,” said Voon.
The workshop segment was facilitated by associate principal lecturer from the Sunway TES Centre for Accountancy Excellence (CAE), Jack Wong, who guided principals through practical approaches to strengthening higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) within the school environment.
The programme also featured a significant session on professional career pathways in accounting, presented by senior programme coordinator at Sunway TES CAE, Michelle Choo Ming Lih.
The session underscored the growing demand for qualified accountants in Sabah and Malaysia, aligning with the nation’s target of producing 60,000 chartered accountants by 2030.
Voon further announced Sunway College Kuching’s commitment to educator development, specifically mentioning the ACCA Diploma in Financial and Management Accounting (ACCA-DiFMA) programme tailored for Principles of Accounting teachers in Sabah.
“The participation of these 34 principals from the Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Beaufort, and Kuala Penyu District Education Offices is a testament to our shared vision,” he said.
“By empowering educators, we are building a sustainable ecosystem to nurture a future generation of competent and high-integrity professionals for Sabah.
“I urge school leaders to encourage their students, especially Bumiputera students, to take advantage of the Yayasan Peneraju funding available to pursue these world-class professional programmes.”
