Education ministry to upgrade contents of digital textbooks

The Education Ministry will upgrade the contents of the digital textbooks launched on Friday in stages in line with government efforts to undertake educational transformation through the Malaysian Education Blueprint (PPPM) 2013-2025. Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said currently the ministry had uploaded 313 titles of textbooks which could be accessed free of charge through the 1BestariNet portal and this would be followed up with an interactive website capable of replying to all questions in a tutorial manner besides using the videos and multimedia. "Soon, we will upgrade it with much better contents through the videos, multimedia and interactive system to answer questions in a tutorial manner. "The process to upgrade the digital textbooks is being carried out in stages in line with the transformation in education which is progressing smoothly now," he said. He said this to reporters after attending a special programme at an orphanage in Sungai Isap, here on Saturday. The programme organised by the Universiti Teknologi Mara Alumni Association(PAUiTM) was also attended by its president, Datuk Zaini Hassan, the Vice-Chancellor of the Industrial, Community and Alumni Network (ICAN) UiTM, Prof Dr Norsaadah Ismail and UiTM Pahang Acting Rector, Professor Dr Jamaludin Kasim. Idris said the ministry took the initiative to launch the digital textbooks to churn out students who would be more independent without depending totally on studying in school and not to burden their parents. "The availability of the digital textbooks will enable the children to study anywhere at all regardless of time. If they could only study in school or at home previously, now they can do so even during the holidays by bringing the iPad so that they revise their lessons from standard one to standard five," he said.