The programme equips teachers from disability inclusive schools with skills and tools to teach STEM subjects to students with varying disabilities.
A PROGRAMME for students with disabilities is driving inclusive access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
Called the Future Skills For All (FS4A) Inclusivity Scale-Up initiative, the training has involved over 150 teachers from 134 disability inclusive schools since July 2024.
They are ensuring over 10,000 children are not left behind in Malaysia’s digital transformation.
This initiative is led by Education Ministry (MOE) through its Special Education Division (BPKhas) with support from the Educational Planning and Research Division (EPRD) alongside Unicef Malaysia, CelcomDigi Bhd and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), implemented by Arus Academy.
Through a combination of online portals, offline kits, and interactive dashboards, teachers receive hands-on training to deliver innovative, engaging, gamified lessons that foster creativity and participation.
The training emphasises inclusive lesson design, encouraging teachers to adapt FS4A content to cater to children with varying disabilities.
The teachers are required to document their teaching practices, reflect on challenges and share insights to help improve future programmes.
Started in 2020, the FS4A programme is accessible through MOE’s Digital Educational Learning Initiative Malaysia (DELIMa) platform with over 2 million page views and over 320,000 users nationwide.
Unicef Malaysia deputy representative and head of programmes Sanja Saranovic said: “This initiative is a catalyst for systemic change.
“It helps to break down barriers faced by children with disabilities by equipping teachers with the skills and tools to create inclusive, empowering classrooms.”
CelcomDigi head of sustainability Philip Ling said: “Empowering educators and students with vital digital skills ensures they have equitable access to technology and opportunities in today’s rapidly evolving digital era.
“The Inclusivity Scale-Up initiative is a proactive step to reduce the new growing digital gap for children with disability, as we move from the Age of Information into the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
MDEC head of digital adoption Wan Murdani Wan Mohamad said its commitment to diversity and inclusivity through digital technology was reflected in the programme, which brings to life its mission of bridging gaps between communities through digital upskilling, reskilling and keeping pace with the fast-evolving digital economy.
“By empowering our communities − including individuals with disabilities − with these essential skills, our nation is driving inclusive socio-economic development with purpose.
“The inclusion of the MyDigitalMaker initiative within this programme aligns seamlessly with the national strategic initiative, Malaysia Digital, and further strengthens our commitment to nurturing young digital talents of diverse abilities to realise their full potential,” he said.
Arus Academy co-founder Daniel Russel said: “We have seen what teachers are capable of during the regional workshops across the country.
“They are committed to improving their teaching pedagogy in digital literacy.”
