By Margaret Ringgit & Sarah Hafizah Chandra
MIRI: The newly established international school, Riam Hill International Secondary School (RHISS), is committed to offering opportunities to students in the northern region to benefit from quality education.
The school provides affordable quality education with Cambridge certification, which is recognised by renowned universities in the world.
“While the state government’s international secondary school will take care of children from B40 household groups, RHISS under the Riam Road Secondary School (RRSS) Board will take care of students from M40 income group and T20 income group, or even the wealthier group.
“RHISS school fees are affordable, making international education more accessible,” disclosed the school’s chief executive officer Pauline Ho during the launch of RHISS on Tuesday (Nov 8). The launch was graced by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“RHISS is considered as a branch growing out from the main tree of RRSS.
“The idea for this international secondary school sprang out of a need the school board recognised in the northern region of Sarawak,” said Ho.
She added that the school complemented the state government’s vision to providing international education to more local students.
“This shows the sense of responsibility and care that the school board, under the leadership of Dato Sri Law Kiu Kiong, has for society.
One month before I joined Riam Educational Group, I took one month off spending time in Ireland. I met a group of Malaysian students in University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin (National University of Ireland),” Ho disclosed.
“They were sent to Ireland to study by Mara. I talked to a few of these Mara scholars and found out that they did IGCSE, Cambridge A-level or International Baccalaureate. They told me that their friends were sent to other universities in the UK, USA, Australia.
“I was thinking then with the limited or no opportunity to access to international education, how would our Sarawakian students ever be competitive?
“The application document (for the RHISS establishment) was submitted to the Ministry of Education before Christmas in 2019. Construction started in October 2020. Its first intake of students was in January 2022.
“Students in RHISS are doing Cambridge international school curriculum. Besides that, Chinese and BM subjects are compulsory.
“Students will be taking the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGSCE) exam in Year 11.
“Currently, the school has three classes opening – Years 7, 8 and 10, with a total of 52 students. All the three classrooms are installed with interactive whiteboards,” she said.
“Total cost of construction and facilities came close to RM8.2mil. More facilities will be required for next year as we will be in full operation, opening classes from Years 7-11.”
She added: “The next phase of expansion will be in Senadin. A group of generous people from Miri North City Development Sdn Bhd donated a piece of land of about 15 acres to Riam Road Secondary School for the purpose.”
Also present were Sarawak Legislative Assembly Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar; Minister for Transport, Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin; Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Sebastian Ting and Miri mayor Adam Yii.
