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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Although he does not attend a regular school, it has not stopped 15-year-old Christopher Zhang Jie Tan from excelling academically.
The home-schooled teenager has made his parents proud by emerging one of the two triple gold medallists in the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) 2008.
ICAS is an international education assessment programme conducted annually by Education Assessment Australia, University of New South Wales (UNSW).
It saw the participation of students from 13 countries including Malaysia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, India and the United States. They are tested in four subjects -- Computer Skills, Science, Mathematics and English.
Zhang scored gold in the first three subjects.
"This is my sixth year taking the ICAS and the first time I achieved gold in three subjects. I find the objective questions challenging as you have to think outside the box."
Zhang said he enjoyed home-schooling as he had the flexibility to study at his own pace. He would usually study in the morning and help out at his father's tuition centre in the afternoon where he also gets to make friends.
For Tan Bing Chieh, 9, a Year Three pupil of SRK (C) Han Chiang, Penang, getting gold in Science, Mathematics and English was unexpected.
"This is the first time I sat for the ICAS. I am happy and surprised."
She aspires to be a primary school teacher as she loves children.
More than 40,000 Malaysian students participated in ICAS 2008. They received a total of 68 gold medals awarded by the UNSW.
Earlier, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said in his speech that the aims of ICAS were in tune with the ministry's vision.
His speech was read by his deputy, Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who represented him at the medal presentation ceremony here yesterday.
Hishammuddin also congratulated the organisers, Educational Assessment and Testing Services (M) Sdn Bhd, for running the assessments which also gauged the thinking skills of students and analysed their progress. --THE STAR
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