A PRIMARY school’s choral speaking team has grown from a small and uncertain group into a confident unit that has represented the school at national level five times since 2019.
SK Kongsi in Balik Pulau has emerged as one of the consistent rural school performers in national-level choral speaking competitions, proving that pupils from smaller schools can compete on bigger stages.
Teacher-in-charge Nor Azlina Mohd Khalid said the programme began to take shape when she joined the school in 2019 and noticed that many pupils lacked confidence in speaking English.
“When I came to the school in 2019, the students were not very confident. Many of them were shy. My plan was to build a big group so they could speak English freely without fear,” she told Buletin Mutiara during a recent interview.
About 30 pupils make up the team, with members selected through regular training sessions and auditions.
“In the auditions, we assess their voice, pronunciation potential and expression. Sometimes the best performers come from the last class, not the first class. They may not be academically strong, but they can perform very well,” she said.
The team advanced through zone, district and state competitions before reaching the national level.
Since 2019, the school has qualified for national-level competitions five times — three times under programmes organised by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) and twice under the Education Ministry (KPM).
“Under KPDN, we reached the national level three times and became champion once. Under KPM, we reached national level twice — in 2019 and again last year,” she said.
Training focuses heavily on pronunciation and stage delivery to ensure pupils perform confidently.
“We practise pronunciation word by word and use online tools so they can hear the correct pronunciation,” she said.
“We always remind them to talk with their eyes, not just with their mouth,” she added.
Nor Azlina said parental support is essential as pupils attend training sessions almost daily.
“This is a team event. If one student cannot perform, the whole team is affected. So we need to inform parents early and arrange proper schedules,” she said.
Pupil Ayesha Zahirah Urazyhan, 12, said she joined the team after being encouraged by her elder brother.
“I wanted to follow my brother because he joined before. At first I was afraid during my first performance, but after joining I became more confident and active,” she said.
She said her teacher often selected her for speaking competitions because of her strong voice.
“Teacher enters me in many speaking competitions because my voice is loud and I am confident,” she said.
Besides choral speaking, Ayesha is active in sports and uniformed activities.
“I follow the training schedule and make sure I manage my time well,” she said.
Another pupil, Hadif Yusuf Abdul Hadi, 12, who performs a solo role, said he chose the character because he felt comfortable with it.
“At first I was nervous, but now I am used to it,” he said.
He said memorising the script became easier with repeated practice.
“It is not difficult to memorise because I have performed it before and practised many times,” he said.
Teacher-in-charge Nur Adzelinda Rosmi described the team’s 2024 championship victory as one of their most memorable experiences.
“That was the best time because we became champion and were invited to perform at other places,” she said.
She added that prize money from competitions has been used to benefit team members.
“Normally we bring them to places they cannot afford to go. Some parents cannot afford it, so we use the prize money,” she said.
Headmistress Rozana Mohamed Noordin said building pupils’ confidence and discipline requires consistent effort and patience.
“Our aim is to make sure pupils gain something meaningful from the programme, not just as students but also in overcoming their personal challenges. Building confidence is not easy, and self-discipline must be trained continuously,” she said.
Rozana said she felt proud seeing pupils from a rural school in Balik Pulau perform alongside others at higher levels.
“Although Penang does not really have remote areas, Balik Pulau is often considered rural. For a small school like ours to shine at the national level is a great achievement for both the school and the pupils,” she said.
She said choral speaking has helped pupils develop skills beyond competitions.
“Some of our pupils have reached the international level through other programmes, and choral speaking helped prepare them for the next stage,” she said.
“Three of our pupils even reached the international stage in the Sustainable Development Goals field through an International Best Practice sharing session. Their pronunciation, confidence and performance showed they were ready to move forward,” she added.
Despite not securing a placing at the 2025 national-level competition, Rozana said the pupils had still performed well.
“At the national level, you cannot afford mistakes. Perhaps there were minor technical issues, but I am still proud of the pupils for their confidence and attitude on stage,” she said.
Rozana said the programme has a long history in the school.
“I first served in SK Kongsi from 2004 to 2013 and returned in 2025. One of the teachers who started the programme is still here, and together with other teachers they continue the legacy,” she said.
She said the programme has evolved over the years.
“In the past, it focused more on presentations involving younger pupils, and now it has developed further into choral speaking,” she said.
Rozana said the school begins training pupils early to ensure continuity.
“We have slightly more than 500 pupils, which is not a large number, and many are involved in different activities. Sometimes pupils have to make choices, and it is not easy to replace them if they withdraw,” she said.
“That is why we start training from Year Three instead of focusing only on Years Four to Six. Early training helps build confidence and ensures we always have enough pupils,” she said.
She stressed that winning is not the main priority.
“If we win, that is good, but what matters most is that the pupils gain skills and valuable experiences,” she said.
“Choral speaking requires strong discipline, and parents also play an important role. We must always work together and find solutions whenever challenges arise,” she added.
Looking ahead, Rozana hopes the team will continue progressing.
“My hope is for the choral speaking team to keep growing and hopefully achieve recognition, but we do not want to put too much pressure on the pupils or teachers,” she said.
“The school will continue to support them through funding and welfare support so that teachers remain motivated after all their hard work,” she added.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Siew Chia En