Science and computer subjects are part of Malaysia’s national curriculum but some schools are unable to teach it because of a lack of facilities and untrained teachers.
National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) president Kamarozaman Abd Razak said that it was good if students were exposed to technology-based subjects, especially in a time where tech is constantly evolving.
However, he noted that the government should first address the need for proper training.
“Right now, the training programmes for teachers are very limited,” Kamarozaman said. “There is no budget, which consequently affects teachers’ performance and ability to catch up with the IT world.”
Some national schools are even lacking in facilities to hold any lessons – he urged the Ministry of Education to supply computers to all schools, possibly with the help of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The country also suffers from slow broadband speeds which is a hurdle to “proper teaching” of technology classes in schools, he said.
His concerns were a response to the education ministry’s proposal to have a technology stream in primary and secondary schools, The Star reported.
Another professional unconvinced that the stream would fare well in Malaysia was Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) School of Computer Sciences senior lecturer Dr Syaheerah Lebai.
“People think that there’s an ultimatum with technology, that you either have to keep up with it or become redundant. But seldom do they research what is really relevant, required and practical,” she said.
“Furthermore, policies are made without asking the end users like teachers who are obliged to use software in schools.”
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