150,000 pupils to receive online learning devices - MOE

KUALA LUMPUR: Some 150,000 eligible pupils from 500 schools nationwide will receive suitable devices to enable them to participate in online learning sessions, the Dewan Negara was told today.

Deputy Education Minister I Muslimin Yahaya said the ministry was currently detailing the criteria of pupils and schools that would receive the devices through a pilot programme conducted by Yayasan Hasanah, a foundation under Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

"The Education Ministry will hold further discussions with Yayasan Hasanah after the list is finalised.

"Apart from assisting pupils and schools in need, the pilot project is to find the best implementation method before it is proposed for expansion," he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2021 today.

At the same time, he said the ministry was in the midst of improving the educational television programme, TV Pendidikan, to ensure students with no internet devices and access are not left behind in their education.

This includes the latest move to increase TV Pendidikan airtime for another three hours on NTV7 starting from Nov 23, bringing its total airtime to nine hours per day.

The ministry has re-introduced TV Pendidikan on April 6 via RTM's TV Okey for two hours a day and later on Astro's Tutor TV for four hours.

To assist students with special needs to watch TV Pendidikan, Muslimin said a total of 30 educational videos have been produced for primary and secondary students with hearing disabilities to date, while 1,300 shows have sign language interpreter.

-- BERNAMA