Fatimah showing the CIS course book. With her is Tan and the ministry’s special administration officer Dr Siti Zaliha Reduan. — Photo by Muhd Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: The Cambridge ICT Starters (CIS) intensive course for Primary Six pupils will be extended to 111 schools in 24 districts across the state this year.
It is expected to benefit 111 teachers and 1,805 students.
Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Well-being Datuk Fatimah Abdullah noted that the course, spearheaded by Danawa Education Sdn Bhd, was much needed in the rural areas.
“There is a need for pupils in the rural areas to improve their ICT skills. The focus is on Primary Six pupils,” she told a press conference after receiving a courtesy call from Danawa yesterday.
“The course focuses on knowledge and actual skills. This is important to ensure rural pupils have the 21st century skills so that they will not lag behind their urban counterpart.”
In the course, pupils learn to use computers, the Internet and software based on the Cambridge ICT Starters syllabus. They will be accessed on their skills, and if they passed, they will be given internationally-recognised certificates.
Depending on the schools, the course duration range from three to five days, covering three modules.
Fatimah explained that the state government, through the Ministry of Resources Planning and Environment, had approved an allocation for Danawa to implement the programme.
She said the course first started in the central zone in 2001 when knowledge of ICT was minimal. The state government sought the help of a corporate body to help the government in providing ICT training to rural pupils.
Danawa brought in the whole package, including trainers, infrastructure, broadband, hardware and software, for the pilot project at SK Pengiran Mohamad in Oya.
“I have witnessed how it was implemented. Even though Internet coverage has improved these days, with 85.2 per cent cellular coverage in populated areas, there is still much to be done, especially for the rural areas.”
Earlier, Danawa chief executive officer Tan Yii Ying briefed the minister on the progress of the course in 2015 and the plans for this year.
“The feedback up to 2015 from schools is that they see improvements in the 21st century learning skills among their students. Because of the encouraging feedback, we will be implementing the course in more areas,” she said.
Tan added that the allocation received was below RM1 million and that six trainers would be involved this year.
Last year, 38 schools in five districts participated, with 75 teachers supporting the training. A total of 927 students attended the course, out of which 870 received their CIS Stage One Certificates for achieving pass or merit.