Educator Turned Entrepreneur - Datin Paduka Zalika Alias of Genuis Aulad & her Latest Brainchild IDRISSI

Datin Paduka Zaliza Alias explaining the conception of Genuis Aulad. What about her upcoming brainchild - Idrissi International in Setia Alam?

Incredible is probably an understatement to quantify Datin Zaliza's achievement to date. Inspiring is perhaps a more fitting word. Why?

From December 2000 till today, Zaliza has not only owned her 8 branches but inspired the following and growth of 20 plus Genuis Aulad franchisees apart from her latest international embarkation into Australia, Indonesia & Saudi Arabia. Did we even mention the Idrissi International? The world's first Eco-Islamic School with language emphasis on Mandarin & Arabic on top of using English as its main medium of instruction.

Inspiring? Nope. How about this. Zaliza was an educator at heart. It wasn't about building her education empire but to offer her teachers a platform to grow out of just being teachers that opened her to the franchising concept.

What about the quality of preschool education? Debatable as it may, Zaliza was looking for an Islamic Preschool that emphasizes English for her children but there was none in the market back in 2000. And there it was, the inception of Genuis Aulad, from the love for her children and insistence of quality education, both Zaliza who was then a TESL Lecturer in a Local University and her husband, Mohamead Hafiez, who was then an architect worked on this preschool education project.

Some of the interesting things about Genuis Aulad:

• The Interactive White Board.
• Universal principals of love, respect and kindness.
• Teaching values and principles through songs and story-telling.
• Motivate young minds in helping the world to be a better place for everyone to live in, regardless of race and creed.

Some milestones achived:

• Genuis Aulad was appointed by MPH Bookstores as official organization to conduct story-telling sessions at MPH Outlets monthly since 2011.
• Genius Aulad conducted training programs and workshops for parents and teachers to enhance their parenting, bonding and teaching skills.  

Zaliza was not only the chief mastermind of Genuis Aulad, she heads the creative department and is still actively involved in the writing and producing of creative works.

As for Idrissi International Primary School, it is the natural progression from Genuis Aulad. One thing we particularly love about Idrissi is its Eco-learning tools and activities - Nature as Learning Tools: Inspired by Australia Organic School Curriculum.

For more information on this incredible educator and mom turned entrepreneur, we recommend below links:
1. The "Genuis Maker" by Top 10 Malaysia, Sept 2013.
2. Zalika Jual Rumah Buka Tadika by Utusan Online, Oct 2011.
3. Idrissi International Primary School in Setia Alam.
4. Genuis Aulad Official Page.

The Plight of Children’s Reading in War-Torn Countries

How to Fix Education and Get Great Teachers?

Excellent post for any Educator-wanna-be.

Before you start reading this piece, you might want to ask yourself a few questions:
1. What makes a great teacher? Or a supremely skilled educator.
2. Can a supremely skilled educator really be trained or coached?
3. What kinds of remedial and effective trainings should be given to potentially great teachers who came unprepared?
4. Private education institutes seem to be comparatively more effective at outplacement than public ones. Why and how did they do it? Was it done correctly & professionally?
5. How to attract the best to teach in an all-time low-morale industry of educating? With low pay, declining respect and worsening conditions being top of the tongue topics.
6. How to make The School an EXCITING place to work?
7. What is Aggressive Recruitment of talented new teachers? Does it have to be aggressive and why?
8. How and who can improve our teachers' compensation system with our already constrained remuneration "source"? Any Compensation & Benefits Consulting Firm that could do this for us with minimal or no fee or with proven track record on value-for-money engagements?
9. Is there a foolproof system that can identify talented teachers in the system who is underutilized, over-utilized or struggling at any unknown reasons not under administrator's radar?
10. What did South Korea do right that made teaching a career of choice? How China, Japan & Finland created a culture that respects and recognizes teachers in this modern day of disregard?
11. How to effectively make great teachers accountable for their teaching performance? Is students' results still the most valid and viable assessment of teachers' performance?

Do advise and please do enjoy your read on Lessons of Hope - How to Fix Our Schools, by Joel Klein. =)

Suggested reading:
Pulse - Book Summary