KUCHING: Zurina Bojeng, 33, is a single mother with six children and plenty of determination. No obstacle too tough: Zurina revising for the SPM at her sister’s home in Bandar Baru Semariang, Kuching, yesterday.She is sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination as a private candidate, taking six subjects in all, to improve her life. Her only previous qualification was the Sijil Rendah Pelajaran. Because of family circumstances, she was unable to continue her studies beyond Form Three.
“I had to leave school and find a job to support my family. I’ve been working for 12 years as a preschool student management assistant . “But because I don’t have an SPM qualification, my job is on a temporary basis and I get a daily salary. I don’t get paid during holidays,” she said.
She was among 439,255 students sitting for the SPM at 3,913 centres nationwide. The examination began yesterday and will end on Dec 6. Zurina married early and had three sons and three daughters. Her oldest is 15 and had just finished sitting for the Penilaian Menengah Rendah examination while her youngest is five.
On top of that, her husband walked out six months ago, leaving her to raise her children by herself. It was this predicament that strengthened Zurina’s resolve to better her life. Part of that objective means sitting for the SPM. “I want to upgrade my education and improve my life. I hope that by getting the SPM certificate I will be able to get a permanent job,” she said in an interview after sitting for the first day’s papers yesterday.
She did not attend any class to prepare for the examination but studied on her own at home, while waiting to pick up her children from school and whenever she had free time. She said she was so nervous on Sunday night that she could not sleep. To her relief, the papers yesterday were not as difficult as she had feared. “What I studied all came out, so I was very pleased. I think I can sleep better tonight.”
After SPM, Zurina hopes to overcome the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia hurdle. “My studies may have been interrupted once, but that doesn’t mean I can’t study anymore. After all, there’s no age limit to learning,” she said.
** The Star -13/11/2007
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