In its latest edition, the Maxis eKelas HIP (Highly Immersive Programme) StoryFest English Competition, an annual campaign under Maxis’ flagship community programme, saw positive response from students with targeted engagement to encourage more participation.
For the 2022 campaign, Maxis eKelas brought the competition directly to over 6,000 students via physical roadshows and storytelling workshops at over 30 schools. Submissions for this term increased by over 50% in comparison to the previous year’s campaign. The students sent in their original works in four categories: public speaking, poem recitation, storytelling and essay writing. Nationwide, the students found it easier to participate through face-to-face engagements, especially with the support from Maxis volunteers on the ground.
HIP was introduced by the Ministry of Education (MoE) in 2016 to improve the English proficiency of students by increasing their exposure to the language through a variety of activities in and out of the classroom. Since 2019, eKelas has been recognised by the MoE under its HIP initiative, where eKelas students of Year 4 to Form 5 who participate in the competition can collect co-curricular marks which are then included in their school certificate.
Recently, a total of 60 winners from multiple categories were rewarded with prizes including smartphones, book vouchers, and gift boxes filled with exclusive eKelas merchandise. First place winners of each category will be invited to attend an immersive experience day in Menara Maxis, Kuala Lumpur in March 2023.
“The HIP is an important programme aimed at creating a rich English language learning
environment in schools. We are pleased to see Maxis’ continued support for the HIP through its eKelas programme, as well as the increased participation. Well done to all the winners! I hope their achievements will inspire even more students to join the competition and take advantage of all the learning opportunities,” said Dr. Faizulizami Binti Osmin, Principal Assistant Director of the Sports, Co-curricular and Arts Division, Ministry of Education Malaysia.
“We are proud to be supporting the HIP through this popular competition for the fifth year running. The significant increase in submissions is highly encouraging! Congratulations to all winners, and to all participants who worked hard in the competition. We look forward to more students joining Maxis eKelas so that they can benefit not just from digital learning content daily, but also from these exciting campaigns,” said Mariam Bevi Batcha, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Maxis.
“I participated in this competition because I wanted to sharpen my talent in storytelling, level up my confidence and enhance my English proficiency. Winning wasn’t really my primary goal but giving it a try was important to me. I put my all, took multiple video recordings till my phone storage got full but it was all worth it, for that I’m thankful to Maxis eKelas for this opportunity,” said Fakhira Batrisyia Binti Mas Alham, a competition winner and a Year 5 student from SMK Cyberjaya, Selangor.
Launched to all Year 4 to Form 5 students in schools nationwide in 2019, the annual Maxis eKelas HIP StoryFest English Competition offers students access to virtual coaching via learning videos and notes, live workshops and opportunities to boost their confidence in using the English language.
eKelas is Maxis’ flagship community programme that aims to improve the academic performance of students in rural communities. As an after-school digital learning initiative for students from Year 4 to Form 5, the programme brings learning enrichment in a fun and vibrant way and provides access to quality education content, in line with the Malaysian School Syllabus. Focusing on Science, Mathematics, English, Bahasa Melayu and History, students are exposed to experiential learning through a combination of live tutorials, group learning, competitions and digital content via the eKelas portal and app. eKelas today provides a complete digital learning experience, including opportunities for students to take part in annual campaigns like English and STEM competitions as well as the opportunity to apply for the Anugerah Gemilang student grant.
For more information on eKelas, please visit www.ekelas.com.my
