KGBS wants the Education Ministry to conduct a study to see if electronic devices are suitable for students to bring to school. AFP File Photo
SIBU: The Education Ministry has to make a thorough study first to determine whether students should be allowed to bring electronic devices like laptops, tablets and smart phones to school.
Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers Union (KGBS) president Ahmad Malie said this is because students are easily exposed to negative elements on the Internet.
“In this regard, KGBS urges the Education Ministry not to make the decision hastily because the negative impact on students outweighs the positive ones.
“Once implemented it is difficult to revoke even if the policy fails to achieve the desired aim,” Ahmad told The Borneo Post yesterday.
He also highlighted that such move if implemented will bring about additional burden to teachers as they would have to monitor the use of the devices by students.
Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said recently that students might be allowed to bring electronic devices like laptops, tablets and smart phones to school for the purpose of learning.
Mahdzir reportedly said the proposal under the Teaching and Facilitating (PdPc) initiative would be subject to certain classroom periods and subjects that would be determined by the ministry.
However, the minister also reportedly pointed out that the matter had not been finalised because the ministry had to study it carefully before implementing it.
Deeming it an old issue, Ahmad said the Education Ministry had held a roundtable discussion involving various agencies to assess the suitability of allowing students to bring smart phones or tablets to school for learning, which ended up with most participants disagreeing with the proposal.
Even smart phone vendors, who were among the agencies involved in the roundtable discussion, had objected to it, he recalled.