SEAMEO-Australia Press Award 2003 was awarded jointly to Ms Indramalar Satkunasingam and Ms Karen Chapman of The Star newspaper, Malaysia for the article entitled “School Alone is Not Enough”. Ms Indramalar Satkunasingam received a plague of recognition on behalf of her co-author at the 26th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting on 16th December 2003 in Bangkok from Mr Robert Noakes, Education Counsellor of the Australian Embassy in Thailand.

Ms Indramalar and Ms Chapman’s article was chosen from a very strong field of 17 articles from journalists around the region.

In discussing the use of extra private tuition for school children, Ms Indramalar and Ms Chapman’s article raises many important and relevant issues such as:

Many of these issues have strong resonance not just within the Southeast Asian region but in many other countries around the world.

Ms Indramalar and Ms Chapman have agreed that Ms Indramalar would take up this Award and would work in Melbourne for a period of time in 2004 with one of the leading Melbourne based newspapers where she would gain worthwhile experience professionally as well as additional insights into both living and working in Australia, as well as the Australian education system.

Ms Indramalar completed her internship in Melbourne during 18 April – 7 May 2004 . She was placed with the Age newspaper in Melbourne. During her internship there she has written the article “Struggling far from home” for The Age.