MUAR – Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has called on the Education Ministry to expedite the national education digitalisation programme to enable more students to have access to high-quality learning.
The Covid-19 pandemic, which hit the country early last year, has impacted Malaysia’s education system, he said.
“Students are unable to go to school and instructed to stay home to prevent the spread of Covid-19... one lesson of this pandemic is that we do not have the ability to commence an education system that can accommodate students’ needs at times like this.
“Even if we have the facilities to allow our students to learn virtually, the number of parents who can provide laptops, computers and tablets is quite limited,” said the Pagoh MP in his speech at a Yayasan Pelajaran Mara corporate social responsibility programme at the Pagoh Sports Complex here today.
He said the move towards the digitalisation of education has already begun, and that he has instructed Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin to set up a special committee to hasten the transition.
The shift involves not only devices, he said, but also human resources, including teaching staff, and the content of learning materials.
The digitalisation process cannot be fully achieved if the country lacks good internet connectivity and wide accessibility, added Muhyiddin.
“That’s why I recently announced the MyDigital initiative to provide us with 5G internet network facilities soon.”
He also expressed happiness with the United Arab Emirates’ willingness to help Malaysia make the shift in education, following his trip there recently.
The national education system must go digital to ensure it is at least on a par with that of developed countries, making a suitable ecosystem necessary, he said. – Bernama, March 27, 2021
