KUANTAN: The government will ensure that low-density, rural and interior areas are provided with sufficient Internet coverage to facilitate students to learn online, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic).
The Deputy Prime Minister said the government would also ensure that students do not have to climb trees to get Internet coverage.
"I have already informed the Digital Minister (Gobind Singh Deo) that, from the end of this year, there will be no more students climbing trees to get coverage because we have 5G.
"We have 5G, so we will continue to provide coverage for low population, low-density areas, villages, Felda and Orang Asli settlements and interior areas; it is mandatory to be provided with sufficient coverage,” he said when officiating the national-level Teacher's Day Celebration, here on Thursday (May 16).
Also present were Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.
Apart from that, Ahmad Zahid said as many as 8,104 computer laboratories in schools need to be upgraded and able to be fully used by teachers and students in an effort to ensure that the Digital Education Policy achieves its objectives.
"I hope that the (Education) ministry makes this matter a priority. I was also informed that the supply of teaching and learning (PdP) devices to students, at computer laboratories, has been implemented in phases.
"Starting from 2022 until now, it has benefited 11,220 schools, where 213,014 laptop units have been provided. I will discuss with the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) so that additional funds for supplying these devices can be approved, as requested by the ministry,” he said.
He also said that he would discuss with the Prime Minister so that the Education Ministry would be given a higher budget in the next budget, compared with RM58.7bil in the 2024 Budget, to provide sufficient learning equipment and various other initiatives.
In the meantime, Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, said that the country, which is currently in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0), needs an education system which produces students fluent in digital technology so that they can compete and meet the needs of the job market, in line with the evolution of the digital world.- Bernama
