Auntie Clarine

 Ms Clarine Chun, cordially known as  Auntie Clarine, is the founder and Founding  Director of Nobel International School. Hailing from Kedah, Malaysia, Auntie Clarine is also the head of the Fungates Superflow Foundation, an organization that runs kindergartens and also community-driven programs. The Fungates Superflow Foundation is notorious for its feed-the-poor  programmes and community-driven  aid. Aside from  community programs, Ms Clarine Chun is also the founder of the Fungates system; a teaching and learning system dedicated towards Fungates kindergartens across Malaysia. 

Personal life

Auntie Clarine was born in Alor Setar, Kedah, on May 6th, 1960. The youngest of five children, Auntie Clarine grew up in an impoverished family. Upon moving to Kuala Lumpur in 1990, Auntie Clarine set up her own kindergarten, the first of three kindergartens in Salak South, Kuala Lumpur. The success of the first kindergarten led to another additional two kindergartens being set up in Sri Petaling in 2001 and Old Klang Road in 2002, and the formation of the Fungates System. Fungates Superflow Foundation was established in 1999 to serve the kindergartens and a soup kitchen later on in 2004.

Auntie Clarine is a mother of two children, both of which were educated in Nobel International School.

Establishment of Nobel International School

The concept of a school dedicated to primary and secondary education was first conceived in November 2001 after the successive launch of Fungates kindergartens across Malaysia. Working with Fungates staff and existing kindergarten teachers, the concept of a private school covering the Malaysian curriculum was set up, with a sole focus on primary education. 

The search for funds and capital to set up a primary school took place from January 2002 to August 2003. In line with the Malaysian government's aim to have vision schools (Sekolah Wawasan), as well as the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English, the plan was for an English medium school to take place focusing on the UPSR syllabus. Funding took place through a donation drive at Fungates headquarters and also from the Ministry of Education. In all, the school raised RM 6 million to start the school.

Planning for the school, tentatively  named Sekolah Sri Nobel, begun in 2002 with the discussion on a site where the school was to be  located. The sites considered for Sekolah Sri Nobel centered around Sri Petaling, Seputeh, Puchong,  Cheras and Subang Jaya. In the end, Kelana Jaya was selected as the location for Sekolah Sri Nobel through the purchase of the Sekolah Kanak Kanak Pekak building at SS5, Kelana Jaya. The launch of Sekolah Sri Nobel took place on June 7, 2004, with classes commencing in January 2005 after a seven-month preparatory period. This was then followed by the launch of the Secondary School in January 2006, and paved the way towards the rebranding of Sekolah Sri Nobel to Nobel International School in 2012, and the relocation of the school to Damansara Jaya due to the growth and size of the school.

Character building and character transformation

A key hallmark of Auntie Clarine's Fungates system is the value of Character Transformation being instilled in schools on how to have good character. The entire ethos of Fungates schools  focuses on character transformation in everyday aspects of life, as well as the demonstration of character transformation by giving back to the community.