In collaboration with Hap Seng Consolidated Bhd, Edvolution co-hosted an education leadership roundtable on 28 November 2023 in Menara Hap Seng, Kuala Lumpur that brought together around 60 leaders from the tech, EdTech, education provider, corporate CSR and government sectors in Malaysia to network, share ideas, and engage in a critical discourse focused on strengthening the STEM ecosystem for our students.
The specially curated roundtable brought together nearly 30 leaders from the tech, EdTech, corporate CSR, education provider and government sectors in Malaysia to discuss the recently presented and cabinet-approved National Digital Education Policy in Malaysia, particularly its aspirations for our education system. With a focus on how this policy shapes educational outcomes, the roundtable seeks to foster a collaborative community of STEM leaders in Malaysia, dedicated to pioneering this transformative change.
Background
The National Digital Education Policy was launched on 28 November 2023 to ensure digital fluency among teachers and students. According to Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, to ensure the policy’s success, the Education Ministry is now focusing on improving infrastructure and streamlining the digital ecosystem in schools.
Focus of the National Digital Education Policy
The Ministry of Education (MOE) has been working on the Dasar Pendidikan Digital (DPD) or the National Digital Education Policy for the past two years.
Briefly, the four main objectives of the National Digital Education Policy are to:
- Foster digitally fluent students to meet the demands of the digital era;
- Promote the integration of digital technology by educators and educational leaders in the education ecosystem;
- Strengthen the infrastructure, info structure and content of digital education; and
- Optimise the active involvement of strategic partners as a catalyst for digital education.
Additionally, the National Digital Education Policy outlines six thrusts, 18 strategies, and 41 initiatives to support the above objectives. The National Digital Education Policy was written in alignment with a few other national policies as follows:
- the MyDIGITAL national initiative;
- the JENDELA programme;
- the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2021-2030 (DSTIN);
- the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 (especially the 7th thrust);
- the MADANI concept; and others.
The MOE also considered global education trends such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2020 Report on Future Schools, especially the emphasis on global citizenship, innovation, and creativity.
Potential Opportunities for Partners
DELIMa (Malaysia’s digital learning portal) has a large database of learning content available on EduwebTV (national TV) and other repositories for teachers to upskill themselves, regularly updated and added to by other teachers. All of the 16 states and federal territories have their respective databases of courses and resources available to them.
Besides that, there are 367 Centres of Excellence (formerly known as Pusat Kegiatan Guru) available within districts for teachers to upskill themselves. They are equipped with laptops, 3D printers, and recording studios for content creation, which students can also make use of under teachers’ supervision. Partners are welcome to use these physical centres as a resource when conducting training and courses for teachers.
Partners are encouraged to continue liaising with divisions they have connections and working relationships with, especially those based on prior approval. MOE via the Science and Technology Division (BSTP) also extends their help to connect partners with the relevant divisions where needed. In addition to that, as one of the six countries selected for the UNICEF Learning Pioneer Programme, MOE will be looking to engage with more organisations.
Lastly, BSTP is also working closely with the Evaluation, Planning and Research Division (EPRD) to create STEM-related content and student competitions to be added to DELIMa.
This is Part 2 of a series about the National Digital Education Policy. Read part 1 here.
Stay tuned for our next article that highlights key challenges faced by implementors on the ground and suggested solutions to improve implementation thus maximising impact.
Source: Leading The Way In Stem Excellence: A Dialogue with Social-Impact Investors and Impact Makers. Organised by Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad and Edvolution Enterprise, 28 November 2023.
