About All This

About Me

I am Tiara, a 22-year-old female creative communicator based partially in Malaysia and partially in Australia. I’m a “student” in the technical sense of the term – I am constantly learning from different experiences – but I am also enrolled in the Creative Industries (Interdisciplinary) degree at Queensland University of Technology, submajoring in creative writing and CI Management. I’m also a webmistress, writer, former production assistant, cultural creative, activist, and sometimes glamourbomber.

Besides alternative education, my interests include the Internet, music, books, creativity, writing, reading, alternative lifestyles, religions, paganism, faeries, mythology, human rights, sexuality, media, performance arts, youth issues, communication, travel, nonprofits, charities, volunteering, activism, and plenty of other things really.

More about me can be found through my ClaimID page.

About This Blog

This is a place for me to put down my thoughts and experiences related to alternative education, often from a Malaysian perspective. Entries here range from reviews to discussions, personal write-ups to personal thoughts. There may also be occasional entries related to Brick In The Wall, a youth project to promote alternative education in Malaysia.

I will also touch on interesting youths and youth ventures in Malaysia, or related to Malaysians, as well as current national news regarding education. As I am now based in Australia, this blog has taken on a more general and international feel. I shall still thrive to make it relevant to both Malaysians and the international community.

I’d love any and all sorts of discussion and feedback, so feel free to join in!

What Is Alternative Education?

Alternative education basically refers to any form of education that is non-traditional – i.e. anything beyond conventional schooling. This can compromise of many things:

  • Study abroad programs
  • Internships
  • Mentorships
  • Community service and volunteering
  • Homeschooling
  • Deschooling
  • Jobs
  • Alternative schools
  • Self-study
  • Workshops
  • Projects

and many, many more.

Alternative education allows the learner to learn in other ways besides sitting in front of a blackboard being spoonfed information. It encourages other styles of learning and offers a variety of learning experiences and growth opportunities.

Why Alternative Education?

My interest in the topic was first sparked after completing my SPM (Malaysian O-Levels) and finishing secondary school. 11 years straight of traditional schooling left me burnt and tired. I was frustrated that traditional schooling, especially in Malaysia, did not provide room for creativity, unorthodoxy, and out-of-the-box-ness. Instead, the focus was more on how many As one can get and what sort of university (and onto job) can you get with that paper.

I knew that I preferred learning in various alternative ways, and ever since then I’ve experimented with various options and opportunities. Taking a year off, doing various workshops, travelling with Up With People, starting a freelance webdesign business…and various others.

I have noticed very little, if any, mention or exposure to alternative education in Malaysia. Many people are still stuck in the “you-need-all-As-and-get-a-job-immediately” mindset which (in my opinion) only turns people into grade cattle. Yet there are so many opportunities out there for people of all ages to participate in alternative education – if only they knew it.

Through this blog, and other projects, I hope to make people more aware of the various options available through education, and also get them to think a little differently.

PR, Republishing/Distributing EducateDeviate, & Other Opportunities

EducateDeviate is open for non-commercial and commercial publication & distribution, through the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 2.5 License (noncommercial) and personally manage commercial usage. I am also open to various other creative & financial opportunities, and will consider some public relations contact as long as it abides by certain policies.

More Information on PR, Publishing, & Other Opportunities

Contact Me

I can be contacted at the following:

When contacting me for the first time, please let me know that you found me through EducateDeviate.

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