PETALING JAYA: Malaysian students who lost precious time in the past year because of the Covid-19 pandemic can now look forward to a series of online workshops, quizzes and programmes which can bring them up to speed.
The initiatives are part of a project carried out in partnership between the Association of Science, Technology and Innovation (ASTI) and Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
The “recovery project for primary school students” aims to help mitigate the time schoolchildren have lost due to the pandemic.
The project, which ASTI says does not focus on examinations but rather on understanding, includes experiments for students to better understand scientific concepts, a portal for students to conduct self-assessments on science and mathematics subjects, as well as an English programme to assist those transitioning to secondary school.
Speaking at the project launch today, ASTI president Mohamed Yunus Yasin expressed concern over Malaysia’s “unstable” progress in education when Covid-19 hit the country.
He said the “disruptive technology” that came along with the virus had heavily impacted existing educational theories and practices taught face-to-face.
“The negative impact is already showing in the decaying morale among students and teachers. What’s even more worrying is the lack of redress on the matter,” he said, noting that every sector in a country was dependent on the stability of its education system.
Commenting on the ASTI-FMT cooperation, Yunus said it was crucial to work together with the media as they played a large role in addressing education issues and raising awareness among the public.
“It has to be a group effort, we need to start solving these problems together. We cannot wait for these problems to be solved for us. It will not happen by itself.”
FMT chairman Al-Ishsal Ishak said the company’s role would be to cover education news and policies, and highlighting the work happening on the ground.
“We hope to feature more human interest stories and real-world examples, especially those in rural areas, to get the message across all communities and teachers,” said Ishsal.
He added that the FMT website would also include opinion pieces by Yunus and other ASTI partners, to provide insights on issues within the education sector in Malaysia.
ASTI’s recovery project was launched by transport minister Wee Ka Siong, represented by former deputy education minister and ASTI advisor P Kamalanathan, at Hilton Petaling Jaya earlier today.