01 Mar 2007

March 2007-Welcome Miss Tay Choon Neo

Tay Choon Neo is the newly-appointed Deputy Education Secretary at the Council of Education (Peninsular).
 
Choon Neo taught for 31 years before taking early retirement to join the COE in January this year. She has taught (mainly English) at 8 schools in 4 states and Putrajaya in West Malaysia. Having held various positions in these schools, at her retirement she was the Penolong Kanan KoKurikulum at SMK Putrajaya 1, a pioneer Smart School.
 
Choon Neo attended Teacher Training College (1974/75) and obtained the B. Ed. (TESL) from University Putra Malaysia. She has an M.A. (Media Technology for Teaching English as a Foreign Language) from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK on a Chevening scholarship.
 
She writes, “Even though the Lord has placed me in the schools as a teacher, I've always made myself available for His ministry. Coming out of schools, to this ministry in COE is just hearing and responding to God's call as in Isaiah 6:8  "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”
 
Besides her teaching career Choon Neo has been active in the Girls’ Brigade for the past 30 years and is currently the National Vice President (West). She is also involved in teaching, worship leading, youth work and missions in her church, Wesley Kuala Lumpur and is a pioneer member of Life Methodist Church, Puchong.
 
Her view of her new ministry? “Coming from a non-Christian home I accepted Christ at 15 in MGS KL. Like many others, God has blessed me through my education in a Methodist school. My hope is that I be His obedient handmaiden and my dream is that our mission schools once again hold high the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Word.”