Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become very powerful tool recently for imparting knowledge and training students to face the challenges posed by the information-based global economy and development. A result, this has increase in the demand for basic computing hardware in schools and higher institution all around the country. Paradigm shift from pencil and paper-based teaching to an ever-increasing reliance on electronic learning has been aware by governments.
Hence, respective education policies stressing on the need for greater technology access for students. In order to achieve the full potential of ICT for enhancing the learning experience, it is vital to increase the number of students with access to computers. The retrofitted PCs offer an attractive and cost-effective opportunity for installing computers in 10,000 schools across the country. PC refurbishment forms an integral component for the success of programs such as the Smart School initiative in Malaysia.
The former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad conceptualized the Vision 2020 plan for the country. This vision aimed to map out the steps required for a sustained growth in the long term and achieve all the desired economic and social objectives by 2020. A technologically literate and analytically thinking population forms the cornerstone of this vision. This coupled with the education system’s aim to nurture students into spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally inclined individuals, lead to the formulation of the Smart School Concept. Smart School is a flagship application of the Multimedia Super Corridor.
BACKGROUND OF SMART SCHOOL
The Malaysian Smart School is defined as learning institutions that have been systematically reinvented in terms of teaching-learning practices and school management in order to prepare children for the information age. The Smart School Flagship was one of the seven applications identified under the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) initiative. The MSC Smart School Flagship Application is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC). The Telekom Smart School (TSS) industry consortium provided the ICT expertise for the initiative.
The history of the Smart School project is rooted in the two-pronged objectives of the flagship, which are to jumpstart the MSC towards building a knowledge-based economy, contributing to the growth of the ICT industry and creating a pool of talent resulting in high-value job creation. The other one is to prepare the citizens for the information age through an innovative education delivery process.
The Ministry of Education started to conceptualise the Malaysian Smart School in 1996 and subsequently began its 3-year pilot phase with 88 pilot schools in 1999. Pilot schools are 88 residential and non-residential primary and secondary schools located in rural and urban areas throughout Malaysia that participated in the study to make all 10,000 schools in Malaysia smart by 2010.
The aim of the Smart School is to change the culture and practices of Malaysia’s schools, moving away from rote-memory learning toward fostering creative thinking skills. Smart schools are provided with computerized classrooms and LCD projectors, electronic resource centre, computers in science labs, self-access centres and WIFI hotspots. The other ICT initiatives are TV Pendidikan and Pelaksanaan Pengajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris (PPSMI); teaching of science and mathematics in English in 2003.
GOALS AND STRATEGIES
The implementation of smart school have five goals and strategies that need to be fulfil which is provide all-round development of the individual, provide opportunities to enhance individual strengths and abilities, produce a thinking and technology literate workforce, democratise education and increase participation of stakeholders.
The first goal is to provide all-round development of the individual like intellectual, physical, emotional and spiritual. Intellectual is focus on getting the knowledge. It is also focus on searching, generating, and using knowledge toward creative thinking skills. Then, about the physical is the responsibility and consciousness of student toward life. The development in emotional and spiritual are related to moral and good values. This is included the emotional balance and emotional intelligence.
The second goal is to provide opportunities to enhance individual strengths and abilities. The strategies of this goal are to provide elective in the curriculum and allow for vertical integration. The vertical integration means that grade levels students for all subject in the school curriculum.
Third, to produce thinking and technology-literate workforce, students will be teach to have the thinking across the curriculum. The application of technology is applied in teaching and learning to produce a technology-literate student. In the smart school, the use of technology like internet as a teaching- learning material is the best ways to produce children who are have different learning style than another school.
The forth goals of the Smart School Project is democratise education. The Smart School programmes provide equal access to learning opportunities. In Smart School Curriculum, students enable to have holistic learning because the curriculums involve all significant aspect of life. The uses of technology as one delivery system gives students the skills they need to use technology such as internet to get more information. Other than that, the Smart School programme also provide for differing abilities, style and paces of learning. The teachers have to ensure that the students gain equal access to quality learning and allowing for self-paced learning. To accommodate the variety in students, teachers should make different types of lesson and learning experience to motivate the students in classroom.
The last goal of the Smart School Project is increase the participation of stakeholders. These goals involve a few strategies that can be due to fulfil the goal, which is to create awareness of what happens in schools. All the stakeholders must know their responsibilities and give feedback so that the Smart School project is known whether it is working or not. The participation of the stakeholders such as parent, community, and private will allow the exchange of experiences and ideas for smart school project. Finally yet importantly, they can launch the parents web site for each smart school so that the school and the parents side can change idea concerning about the smart school project.
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