The announcement on the evening’s prime news broke the silence. Another round of results, this time it’s the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, and as expected, they would be released according to plan. The adrenalin starts to pump profusely , third time around. Already, it had pumped late last year , when the UPSR results were released, Round 1 and again, well after Christmas when the PMR results were released , Round 2. I could breathe a sigh of relief then, as our overall results were truly outstanding by our standards. The percentages of Distinctions in many subjects leapt threefold, and I can only thank my team of teachers who made this possible. They worked hard, and the results were testimony to this.

This time however, the beat sounded a little more thunderous and seemed to indicate a signal, beyond comprehension. I sat in front of the television. The announcement was official. All Principals would have to collect the results personally from the Education Department the following morning.

As usual, I would have to encounter another sleepless night, round three. My thoughts flashed back to ‘Class of 2009’, their faces of hope, fear, anxiety and immediately I am reminded of the entire year that passed by. Looking back, in the hope of assuring my emotions, we placed intensive drill programmes, conducted trial examinations, tutor-ward meetings, the daily lunch classes, the face-to-face meetings with parents, the strategies and all that came about in our quest to fully prepare the students for perhaps the most important examination in their school life! In other words, there should be nothing to worry about. All I could possibly do, at this juncture was to pray and hope for the best. “Round 3.”

As head of a school, release of government-based examinations results are always excruciatingly painful, despite the implementation of yearly strategies to ensure increased performance achievement. At all levels, be it among the young children or the senior students, the entire school community, parents and teachers alike demand the very best of results. Academic excellence still carries weight in an all-too-competitive education environment. We have not failed. Thats what sets apart the Cempaka Group Of Schools from others schools. Teachers and parents rejoice at students performance almost like they themselves sat for the exams, and by the time we officially get over the whole act of releasing the results amidst tears of joy , unabashedly little hugs and congratulatory wishes , we can afford to give ourselves a pat on the back. And I can finally adjourn home, knowing very well that Sleepless Night, Round Three has passed me.

Correction, its ‘breezed passed’ me.

Congratulations Class of 2009!