| Syazwani Hj Rosli |
IN CONJUNCTION with Ramadhan and to commemorate the Nuzul Al-Quran celebration, the Special Education Unit (SEU) under the Ministry of Education (MoE) held an Al-Quran Memorisation Competition for Years 7-11 students with special needs from schools across the four districts at the Auditorium Hall of Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) yesterday.
Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Pengiran Dato Seri Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar was the guest of honour.
Other attendees at the event included Deputy Permanent Secretary (Core Education) at the MoE Nadia Lee Siew Hoon binti Abdullah; UNISSA Rector Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal; directors, senior officials and principals under the MoE; officers from the SEU; and parents.
The competition began with a recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa by Awangku Muhammad Khoiri Syauqli bin Pengiran Haji Johari followed by the 15 finalists taking to the stage to showcase their skills in memorising their respective Al-Quran verses.
The finalists, comprising four boys and three girls under the secondary mainstream category and four boys and four girls under the secondary pre-vocational programme category, were selected from a total of 60 participants representing secondary schools across the nation.
Under the mainstream category, Muhd Khairi bin Abdullah from Pengiran Isteri Hajjah Mariam Secondary School emerged champion with a score of 82.9 per cent, while Rabiatul Nadzirah binti Radzuan from Raja Isteri Girls High School (STPRI) won in the girls category with a score of 75 per cent. For the pre-vocational programme category, Abdul Munin bin Abdullah Mutaliff from Sayyidina Abu Bakar Secondary School was the champion with a score of 80 per cent, while Nurulain Syafiqah binti Khalid Saban from Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Masna Secondary School emerged champion in the girls category with a score of 68 per cent.
All the winners and runner-ups received plaques, cash prizes and certificates from the guest of honour.
The competition aimed at making the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Al-Quran verses an integral part of the students’ daily routines and instilling love of Al-Quran among them.
It was also an activity held to ensure that special needs students are afforded equal opportunities to master the recitation of Al-Quran verses as part of the MoE’s goal of practising inclusive education while at the same time realising the special needs students’ potential in Al-Quran memorisation and uncover talents capable of developing into future Qari or Qariah.