Improve 4 Key Areas To Ensure Smooth Delivery Of Kids Education

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Bernama picKUALA LUMPUR: Internet connectivity, electronic devices, TV Pendidikan platform and books need to be improved considerably to ensure that schoolgoing children receive proper and continuous education during the lockdown.
Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the government must take efforts to improve these four areas considering the increasing number of families in rural areas reportedly having to search for better Internet connectivity, such as at an oil palm plantation, to follow online classes.
Noor Azimah said the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) should realise the importance of having people to connect not just for education but also to benefit those in e-commerce.
"MCMC announced that it would provide connectivity to 1.2 million premises and homes by 2021. Where land issues are obstacles, the head of states should be able to pave the way immediately or face the wrath of parents, who are voters.
"Parents will not compromise on their children's education," she told the New Straits Times.
On providing electronic devices to underprivileged students, Noor Azimah said the government could start a campaign requesting the private sector to donate unused devices to pupils, students and undergraduates.
"The government-linked investment companies and government-linked companies have donated towards supplying 1.5 million tablets for students under a pilot project by Yayasan Hasanah.
"The YTL Foundation has also given out 100,000 free phones to B40 households, who are registered with Bantuan Prihatin Nasional. Even Ustaz Ebit Lew is seeking RM30 million to procure more tablets for B40 students."
Noor Azimah also called for the improvement of TV Pendidikan platform under the Education Ministry. She described the present content as inadequate and inconsistent, with no TV guide to help students identify lessons to be covered on any particular day.
"TV Pendidikan is not new. Astro channels such as 601, 602 and 603 are dedicated to Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah, Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, respectively.
"TV Okey was also launched during the pandemic to cater for students without Internet connectivity. However, it is interspersed with children's drama and entertainment, and it does not cater to non-exam years."
On books as teaching tools, Noor Azimah said they had been underutilised and could be used to complement TV Pendidikan in areas where Internet access was not available.
"Textbooks should have been distributed in the first week of the new academic year, but most will get them only in February this year. Some schools are already reporting out-of-stock books."
Noor Azimah believed online learning was the future of education even after the country returned to how it was after Covid-19.
"As we return to 'normal' and more children are connected online and learn how to be independent (with their lessons), we will then need fewer teachers and more facilitators.
"Teachers who fail to interact with students during an online class will soon realise that their roles are being taken over by technology.
"This may be the turning point in reducing teacher emolument, which is the bulk of the education budget as we turn to technology instead." - NST

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