Forget the hype, IT is about education
Peter AndrewsPublished: May 15, 2001 5:27 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
The unforgettable "Cinta IT" song; the EPF withdrawal scheme for computer purchases; the grandeur of the MSC and twin cybercities of Putrajaya and Cyberjaya; and the endless reporting on the "K-economy" all make up the hype of the IT scene in Malaysia.
Malaysia sure seems to be a happening place for IT. But how useful is all this hype to the average Malaysian who has yet to discover the wonders of IT? Like all forms of illiteracy, the fundamental problem is lack of education. The solution is pretty obvious: put computers in all schools, hook them to the Internet; give the students fairly unrestricted access to these computers and watch them learn.
Forget expensive home-based access and the town-based Internet cafes. The only way to reach a large number of young people is to equip schools. This could be achieved with not much cost through sponsorship from large IT companies in Malaysia. Maybe offer them tax breaks or other incentives if they participate in the "PC in Schools" project. The companies would be responsible for maintenance and the training of teachers.
With this in mind and the fact that over 35 percent of Malaysians are aged below 14 years (according to the CIA Factbook on Malaysia), it made my heart leap a little, in recent times, to hear of some promises to help schools with IT.
A few weeks ago, Telekom/TMnet made an announcement covered by the English TV news that they would provide school children free Internet accounts. Many questions remain unanswered about this generous offer.
Would a student be able to use the account at home as well as in school? When will this programme start? Do the students still have to pay phone charges (ala Maxis's "Free Internet Access" programme)? All these questions remain unanswered. There did not seem to be any print media coverage of the story. Nor is there anything about this on the Telekom or TMnet websites.
Recently, the New Straits Times reported that Education Minister Musa Mohamad had announced that some 6,400 schools would soon be equipped with between 10 to 40 computers each. However, the report would not have passed a math test. If Malaysia is to equip 6,400 schools with between 10 and 40 computers each, then this would involve at least 64,000 computers and not only 1,200 as NST reported.
But the idea behind the stories is there and it is a good one. At last, the government and the national telecoms giant seems to recognise that any IT programme needs to include Malaysians at the ground level and not just be economically-driven from above. Forget the hype, IT is about education.
PETER ANDREWS is advisor to [#1]CLJ Legal Network[/#], an online database of Malaysian legal information. He can be reached at [#2]blackpet@hotmail.com[/#]. Malaysiakini has a content arrangement with [#3]MSCTimes.com[/#] where this article originates.
Malaysia sure seems to be a happening place for IT. But how useful is all this hype to the average Malaysian who has yet to discover the wonders of IT? Like all forms of illiteracy, the fundamental problem is lack of education. The solution is pretty obvious: put computers in all schools, hook them to the Internet; give the students fairly unrestricted access to these computers and watch them learn.
Forget expensive home-based access and the town-based Internet cafes. The only way to reach a large number of young people is to equip schools. This could be achieved with not much cost through sponsorship from large IT companies in Malaysia. Maybe offer them tax breaks or other incentives if they participate in the "PC in Schools" project. The companies would be responsible for maintenance and the training of teachers.
With this in mind and the fact that over 35 percent of Malaysians are aged below 14 years (according to the CIA Factbook on Malaysia), it made my heart leap a little, in recent times, to hear of some promises to help schools with IT.
A few weeks ago, Telekom/TMnet made an announcement covered by the English TV news that they would provide school children free Internet accounts. Many questions remain unanswered about this generous offer.
Would a student be able to use the account at home as well as in school? When will this programme start? Do the students still have to pay phone charges (ala Maxis's "Free Internet Access" programme)? All these questions remain unanswered. There did not seem to be any print media coverage of the story. Nor is there anything about this on the Telekom or TMnet websites.
Recently, the New Straits Times reported that Education Minister Musa Mohamad had announced that some 6,400 schools would soon be equipped with between 10 to 40 computers each. However, the report would not have passed a math test. If Malaysia is to equip 6,400 schools with between 10 and 40 computers each, then this would involve at least 64,000 computers and not only 1,200 as NST reported.
But the idea behind the stories is there and it is a good one. At last, the government and the national telecoms giant seems to recognise that any IT programme needs to include Malaysians at the ground level and not just be economically-driven from above. Forget the hype, IT is about education.
PETER ANDREWS is advisor to [#1]CLJ Legal Network[/#], an online database of Malaysian legal information. He can be reached at [#2]blackpet@hotmail.com[/#]. Malaysiakini has a content arrangement with [#3]MSCTimes.com[/#] where this article originates.
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