SMS Sabah

SMS Sabah SMESH
Address
Kampus Lama IPG Kent, Jalan Bolong Tuaran, Sabah, 89200 Malaysia
Information
School type	Fully Residential School High Performance School
Motto	Teguh Setia Budi ("Strength, Loyalty, Morality")
Founded	1 January 1984 (1984-01-01)
Status	Open
School code	HC 4039
Excellent Principal	Hj. Zaini Zair
Staff	55 (academic) 20 (non-academic)
Grades	Form 1 to Form 5
Enrolment	467 (2016)
Classes	4 (Alpha, Beta, Cygma and Delta) for each Form
Classes offered	General knowledge and science
Language	Malay, English, Arabic, Japanese and French
Houses	Tun Ahmad Raffae      Tun Datu Mustapha      Tun Said Keruak      Tun Fuad Stephens
Yearbook	SASILA
Front entrance of the school

Sekolah Menengah Sains Sabah (English: Sabah Science Secondary School; abbreviated SMESH) is a prominent cluster boarding school in East Malaysia established since 1978 but fully operational on 1 January 1984.^[1] Previously known as Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Sabah (SBPS), it was the pioneer of boarding school project in Sabah and Sarawak and was built on 16-acre (65,000 m²) land near Sabah Golf and Country Club. The school is graded as A -- cluster type school and ranked as No.1 School in Sabah by the Ministry of Education, while school's administrator benefits number of autonomy powers from the status.^[2]

In May 2011, Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Education announced SM Sains Sabah is enlisted as Nation's High Performance School (Sekolah Berprestasi Tinggi) status.^[3] SBT status allocates additional autonomy powers to pursue innovation in school management and raise the productivity of students. The benefits include fixing the minimum periods for subject, extending schooling hours and allowing students to complete their studies a year earlier. A lump sum grant would be channelled to the schools at the beginning of each year and that they would have the full flexibility to spend as needed and were exempted from the ministry’s centralised procurement system.^[4] In the recent PMR examination (2013), the school managed to produce 70 straight A's student out of 130 students with GPS 1.12 to become the second best school in Sabah.^[5] In 2014, the school ranked No.2 in the country and No.1 in Sabah based on SPM 2013 results.

History

Sekolah Berasrama Penuh (SBP) is a cluster of elite boarding schools modelled after English Boarding School. Enrollment to these schools are subjected to pupils with excellent public examinations result (5A for UPSR and 7A for PMR) as well as in co-curricular activities.^[6] Effective from year 2007, admission to this school requires all eligible prospective students to seat aptitude test to be conducted by the school to determine students objectiveness and tendency towards learning process in boarding school that often associated with highly competitive environment. On the first January 1984, SMESH began fully operational and became the first ever boarding school built in Sabah and Sarawak. Mr. Mohd. Radzwan Mohd Yusof was the earliest person in charge with administration and students enrolment based at Bahagian Sekolah-sekolah, Jabatan Pendidikan Sabah. The first group of students were selected around Sabah and registered as Science student at Teacher Room on 26 May 1984. Meanwhile, the enrolment of National University of Malaysia (UKM) matriculation students began in 1986.

Traditions and pride

Traditional Baju Melayu

Like most of the boarding schools, the school is well known for its rooted tradition over dining etiquette. At end of the year, Malam Setia Budi (Promenade Night) celebrates all prefect, librarian and student for their significant contributions to the School. The night shares the same popular culture of Prom Night as practices in UK.In 2011, the event was replaced with Malam Anugerah Rumah (House Award Night) due to principal's order. Friday is a designated day for boys to wear traditional Baju Melayu together with specially hand-made Samping which reflects the pride and tradition of the school. Every year, all boarding schools in Malaysia holds gathering in selected residential school to be known as Hari Kecemerlangan Sekolah Berasrama Penuh (HKSBP). SMESH without exception participates the long tradition of boarding schools in Malaysia. During the week event, English and Bahasa Malaysia Debate Teams of each residential schools compete for Piala Perdana Menteri while annual basketball competition held simultaneously.

On the Appreciation Night, number of outstanding schools will be acknowledged and awarded by Ministry of Education. The event mostly attended by notable Alumni many of whom are prominent figures from outstanding companies in Malaysia and doing excel in political field. Besides the long tradition night, SMESH has the long tradition value of merit and demerit system for every houses. Each of students are member of they respected houses. The house system is to be distinguished from Sport houses but are dominantly resembling fraternity house. Formerly, there were five houses but later reduced to four houses named after Sabah prominent Statesmen. To be prepared with necessary leadership skills, all Head of House attend Ministry's Leadership course known as Kursus Ketua Rumah Sekolah Berasrama Penuh (KESUMA).

Sekolah Berprestasi Tinggi

In May 2011, Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Education, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced Sekolah Menengah Sains Sabah has been awarded a Sekolah Berprestasi Tinggi status, in addition to Cluster school status awarded to the school before. To gain such an award, a school must perform ouststandingly in fields set by the Ministry of Education. Among the fields are:

• Academics,
• Co-curricular activities,
• Niche areas which the school had established themselves and specialising in the particular areas.

Innovations

Being one of the four schools in Malaysia ranked as 5 star ICT status, the school administration and learning process are widely integrated with the usage of ICT. Students' academic result, for instance, can be accessed from the internet. All academic resources and holidays homeworks are sometimes done through Think Portal. While day-to-day school's management are run through Sistem Pengurusan Sekolah Online.^[7] To encourage students engagements with ICT, the school's policy allows student to bring their own laptop but prohibited to use them in hostels, except if a permission is given by any warden on duty and may use free Wi-Fi service provided by the school. Most parts of the school are covered by wi-fi hotspots, but not all of them are regularly working due to the managements problem of the school. To date there are 11 hotspots installed namely Academic Buildings, Boys and Girls hostel, canteen, Hall, Balai Hinggap and Anjung Warisan. As part of security measure, the school is installed with CCTV and linked into Server Room and Senior Assistant of Students' Affairs room for surveillance purposes.

Achievements

Trophies

The school has achieved 100% pass rate for SPM and PMR examinations ^[8] where some of the former students received scholarship awards from Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA), Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), Petronas, Telekom Malaysia, Shell Malaysia, Yayasan Sabah and other overseas scholarship.^[9] It also won awards from various government agencies, among them are Anugerah Kualiti Menteri Pelajaran, Anugerah Sekolah Rakan Alam Sekitar (SERASI), Anugerah Sekolah Harapan Negara, Smart School, Champion of National Robotic Competition and The Most Active and highest User Think.com Award.^[9] On 10 March 2010, the school retains its championship in Kota Kinabalu Schools Sports Council Track and Field Meet by winning a total of 21 gold, 10 silver and 7 bronze medals during the three-day event.^[10] In the previous year, SMESH hauled a total of 26 gold, 15 silver and 11 bronze medals and emerged as the overall champions of the fifth edition of the Kota Kinabalu South MSSD Track and Field Championship.^[11]

In 2010, SMESH emerged as the best and top school in Sabah with an average grade of 2.22 for SPM 2009, ahead from close rival, SM Sains Lahad Datu.^[12] Earlier in January, three out of four Form 3 classes scored straight A's in PMR, the highest-ever number of achievers and ranked as No.1 School in Sabah. The school, for over the years has consistently develops human character buildings through five ethos introduced initially by the then principal Rossminah Yamin. However, in 2007 the school suffered severe setback in academic achievements where number of straight A's SPM student drastically reduced. The dismissal performance was however, revealed in the post-mortem, due to school involvement with many non-academic competitions and lack of academic consultation between teachers and students. In 2008, the controversial but effective principal Rossminah Yamin was transferred to Sekolah Menengah Sains Kuala Selangor and succeeded by current principal Tuan Haji Zaini Zair.

In 2011, SMESH again emerged as the best boarding school in Sabah after the school performance in SPM 2010 recorded increment from 2.22 to 2.14 GPS, the best year ever recorded. The GPS indicator is widely used as a national school performance indicator endorsed by the Ministry of Education. However, year 2011 saw slightest drop in PMR result where out of 5 classes, only 2 classes scored Straight A's, thus no longer retaining the position as the best school in Sabah for PMR, coming second behind SM Sains Lahad Datu. Apart from academic achievements, the school is certified by Auditor-General of Malaysia with Sijil Tanpa Teguran or Unqualified Certificate where the auditor is completely satisfied with the true and fairness of financial statements. At the moment, the school is thoroughly audited by SIRIM for MS ISO 9001:2008 certification.

List of principals

Gallery

• 
  Old front entrance
• 
  Sceneric view from Boys' hostel during dusk
• 
  School's official uniform
• 
  Group discussion in Sri Kinabalu Hall

References

Coordinates: 5°57′30″N 116°06′34″E / 5.958327°N 116.109502°E / 5.958327; 116.109502