Sadhana Visionary Academy's Vision
Description, Purpose And Goals Of Sadhana Visionary Academy
The Sadhana Visionary Academy (SVA) is an innovative post primary educational programme for high-achieving but financially challenged or disadvantaged students. These students are mainly from rural Tamil schools who are high academic achievers. Students for SVA enrollment are selected based on their winning performance in the UPSR Malaysian Primary Education examinations or an equivalent assessment. SVA’s central goal is to help such students maintain their academic excellence so they qualify to enter internationally recognized colleges and universities.
There is an urgent need to address effectively the situation where most of the students from rural Tamil schools are unable to maintain their academic standards when they transition into local secondary schools.
To fill this need SVA aims to create a boarding facility to house and provide quality curriculum with personalized attention. The education syllabus, which uses the American Home-Schooling curriculum, will incorporate holistic approaches both in methodology and content. Holistic approach includes values based learning, Hindu studies and service oriented leadership.
SVA also aims to provide its students with global exposure in education so that they have a brighter future and become positive contributing members of their society.
Strategies Implemented By SVA Towards The Realization Of Its Goals
After thorough research conducted by Dr. Ratna Malar Selvaratnam (SVA Academic Coordinator) the American Home-Schooling Curriculum was found to be the most suitable for SVA. The American homeschooling was chosen for its ease of setup and implementation, flexibility of curriculum, values development and cost efficiency.
SVA is the education arm of Persatuan Kebajikan Arutpernunjothi Margam (PKAM–Arutperunjothi Margam Welfare Association). PKAM’s charter is to provide welfare and education support for the poor, wherein running schools or education centers is one of its goals. PKAM started its Food Aid and Education Aid programmes in 2001. As of 2010 these programmes support about 102 families by providing them monthly groceries, and tuition fees for children. PKAM is registered under the Registrar of Societies Malaysia, Reg. No: 0162-06-SEL
The main infrastructure of SVA is a double story link houses which is the hostel for students of SVA which is for now rented in the city of Klang in Malaysia.
Sadhana Visionary Academy Address:
No. 9, Lorong Tenggiri 1C,
Taman Sri Pelabuhan, Klang 41100
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: 603-3371-1155
The students of SVA are from rural National Tamil School. At the moment two Tamil Schools, SRJK (T) Ladang Lenggeng and SRJK (T) Kirby have been identified for student recruitment. Both these schools are currently supported by PKAM’s Food Aid and Education Aid programmes. The teachers of these schools also have a good history of cooperation with the founders of SVA. Qualifying students for SVA are high achievers in the Standard Six UPSR examination. Prior to enrollment students undergo curriculum specific diagnostic tests to assess their affinity to the SVA learning programme.
SVA's scholarship arm is privately funded through public donations. These donations will be collected by PKAM and distributed to SVA. All aspects of student care and education, including room and board, tuition fees, health care and transport will be provided for by donations to PKAM’s Education Aid Fund.
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| SVA Founders with students and teachers of Ladang Lenggeng Tamil School |
A Description of the SVA's Unique Curriculum
SVA was initially inspired by the success of the American Home-Schooling model that is currently established in Malaysia by the Grace Assembly Church. The Church was able to meet the need for Christian education and secular education for its congregation and has been in operation unhindered for over 20 years.
After extensive research, the stewards of SVA was able to locate and officially partner with a secular international home-schooling provider in the USA, the Global Village School. Global Village School provides official recognition for SVA’s unique curriculum and also provides the American High School Diploma upon the students graduation from SVA.
SVA’s curriculum is unique in a couple of ways. Firstly its basic secular subjects (Maths, English and Science) is Singapore’s National Curriculum. Upon completion of this curriculum students will be ready to sit for GCE ‘O’ if they so choose. The other unique quality of SVA’s curriculum is the incorporation of Hindu or Buddhist Studies as graded subjects in students’ High School Diploma. Students in SVA study four compulsory subjects–Maths, Science, English and Social Studies–optional subjects are Tamil Language, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandrin, Arts and Craft, Hindu or Buddhist Studies. Scholarship students study all these subjects except Buddhism.
Students who study in Sadhana Visionary Academy progress from grade to grade when they secure the highest grade in all their subjects. SVA’s teaching and testing methods are flexible enough to allow students to move from grade to grade at their own pace and not restrict them to annual schedules. SVA’s focus is for all its students to excel in their studies. Thus the students of SVA are guided by their teachers to be more focused on understanding their subject matter as their priority.
