DPM WANTS MORE PRIVATE COMPANIES TO HELP INCREASE ACCESS TO EDUCATION

PAGOH (Malaysia), Aug 20 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin
wants more companies to step forward and help the government increase access to
education and enhance the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process
through the use of the latest technology.

The deputy prime minister and education minister said the involvement of
private companies through the discharge of their corporate social responsibility
was in line with the government's aspiration to narrow the digital divide
between the urban and rural schools.

"It is indeed the government's duty to provide opportunies for quality
education to the students, irrespective of whether they are in the towns or
rural areas. This is in line with the government's policy to close the
education gap between the urban and rural areas and thus enhance access to
quality education in the country.

"Moreover, with the rapid development in technology, many private companies
can come forward and help the government to increase access to education and
enhance the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process through the use
of the latest technology," he said when launching the "Astro Campus with the
School Community in Peninsular Malaysia" programme here, a town in southern
state of Johor.

Under the programme, Astro, satellite television network station, will
supply and set up personal video recording equipment, LCD TV and a learning
channel for schools and teachers' activity centres nationwide free of charge.

Muhyiddin said that in today's knowledge-based economy, a nation's
achievement was no longer assessed based on its vast human resources or physical
capital but on its ability to produce knowledgeable and highly skilled human
capital capable of spearheading the nation's progress through inventions and
innovations.

As such, the use of information communication technology in the country must
be revoluntionised because it could bring about reform in the learning method
and open the gateway to knowledge to students to stimulate creative and
innovative thinking, he added.

He said phase one of the programme was started in East Malaysis states of
Sabah and Sarawak early this year involving 127 schools, 13 divisional education
technology centres and 53 teachers' activity centres and 195 teachers trained in
Astro's technical aspects and learning content.

Phase two involving RM30 million (US$8.5 million) covered peninsular
Malaysia and Pagoh was the first area to be fitted with the equipment for the
Astro programme.

"With the satellite facility provided by Astro the education TV channel can
be beamed to the interior areas which cannot be connected with the normal TV
channels. This facility is very useful for the interior areas in Sabah and
Sarawak which have difficulty getting normal television broadcast," he said.

Astro chairman Badri Masriwas, in his speech, said Astro found that the
people from various strata of the society gave priority to learning as was
evident from the fact that seven out of every 10 Astro subscribers subscribed to
the Asro learning package.

"Through this Astro campus we aim to promote holistic learning. It's our
hope that the 5.2 million-odd students in the country will acquire the latest
knowledge, widen their experience and hone their skills," he said.

He said 170 schools in Sabah and Sarawak were equipped with decoders with
recording function, telivision sets and given access to educational content
through the pioneer programme early this year in efforts to support the
government's strategy to narrow the gap between the urban and rural areas.
-- BERNAMA