MACHANG, 4th September 2023 – The famous phrase “To be or not to be!” reverberated through the Professional Hall of Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Kelantan as 105 students dramatically brought it to life. This captivating performance marked a significant collaboration between UiTMCK’s Academy of Language Studies (APB) and the Student Development Unit of the Kelantan State Education Department (JPNK) on 23 August 2023. It represents the culmination of APB’s dedicated efforts to become a one-stop center for Kelantan language teachers’ professional development. Earlier this June, 67 schools convened at UiTM Cawangan Kelantan for a two-day intensive workshop, focusing on the effective training of drama in educational settings. The workshop’s modules were meticulously crafted after conducting interviews with teachers, students, and experienced drama adjudicators. Ms. Noor Hazleen Sazali, representing the Kelantan State Education Department, emphasized the timeliness of collecting insights related to drama, which will soon be consolidated on a dedicated website. This initiative aligns with the Ministry of Education’s annual drama competition, and the shared knowledge is anticipated to encourage more schools in Kelantan to participate actively in future.

Dr. Warid Mihat, the program’s director, underscores that beyond systematizing drama training in schools, the collaboration between APB and JPNK serves as a platform to amplify UiTM Cawangan Kelantan’s presence among language educators in Kelantan and champions quality education, as advocated by UNESCO through its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030. Dr. Warid mentions that the enhanced training modules will be made accessible on the website for teachers across Malaysia by December 2023. He is thankful to have 15 dedicated APB lecturers working on the contents of this project.

As the curtain descends on this remarkable stage production, UiTM Cawangan Kelantan extends its warm congratulations to the outstanding drama teams from the following schools: SMK Bukit Jawa, Pasir Puteh; SMK Kubang Bemban, Pasir Mas; SMK Ismail Petra, Kota Bharu; SK Kamil 1, Pasir Puteh; and SK Zainab 1, Kota Bharu. These teams displayed remarkable and aspiring performances, earning recognition as the high-performing drama ensembles in this competition.

APB and JPNK anticipate a triumphant return of My Dramatic Stage! in 2024, with even more participants and zestful performances.