STUDENTS of Rimba II Secondary School (SMR II) came out of their long weekend holiday in high spirits as their school received the graceful visit from His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam as part of the monarch’s long itinerary yesterday.

Despite a jam-packed schedule following the Key Plaque Presentation ceremony which took place at The Empire Hotel & Country Club earlier in the morning, the monarch took his time to closely examine the school, which officially began its operations on January 1, 2012.

Officially dubbed the Model School on May 7, 2012, SMR II separates itself from other schools with the integration of innovative ICT-based classrooms utilising technology as an educational tool.

His Majesty was greeted upon arrival by SMR II’s principal, Hajah Suriani binti Haji Noor Hashim, who escorted the monarch through a tour of the school. From the Administration Block, the ruler was greeted by teachers and students on his way to the Innovative Room.

The monarch was seen to have been highly impressed with the learners-centric environment. With sliding doors partitioning the groups into different classes, His Majesty spared his time to interact with the students.

Overseeing a brief presentation on the cons of alcohol consumption, the benevolent ruler praised the students for “doing their research”.

In other partitions of the room, His Majesty stayed on to interact with more students on using technology to learn. Having finished touring the Innovative Room, His Majesty then toured several classrooms, most of which readied with project demonstrations in certain subjects.

During the course of the tour, the ruler evidently paid close attention to the school’s aspects of infrastructure and pedagogy, noting a few construction defects and urging that there be no delays in getting repairs.

Despite having a long day ahead, His Majesty showed his concern for the welfares of his subjects and the manner of which they receive their education.

Upon finishing the school tour, the monarch consented to take a group photo at the lecture theatre before continuing the working visit. - Borneo Bulletin (3 June 2014)