Smart School Assignment

To fulfill the Malaysian Vision of 2020, we as Malaysian citizen must be well prepared to participate fully in the global economy of the 21st century. It can be done through educational system. The main ideas is to changes the culture of traditional educational system in primary and secondary schools which is examination oriented learning and based on memorized designed to an education that stimulates thinking, creativity and able to increase individual abilities and is based on more equitable access. In 1998, the Government of Malaysia which under former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had launched the Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project. There are seven flagships in MSC projects and one of it is introduction of Smart School project.
Smart school project will improve how the educational system achieves the National Philosophy of education. In bahasa ,“Pembestarian” mean “Proses membudayakan penggunaan teknologi” [1]. In this case technology does not mean only the usage of computer but including of digital camera, television and teaching aid. The curriculum of the Smart school will be designed to development knowledge, skill, values and correct use of language. It also wills explicitly learning outcomes for different ability level of students, offer of multidiscipline and continuous of learning process. In Smart School curriculum, students will gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes faster than before. This will be done by creating a group of 90 pilots Smart Schools by 1999 to 2002, nation-wide. All the pilot school will be grading using the Smart School Qualification Standard and will using of Smart School teaching concepts and materials, skills, and technologies. By 2010, all 10,000 of Malaysia’s primary and secondary schools will be Smart Schools.
For the Smart School system, apart from using computer in teaching and learning process, there are some aspects that have to be concern. For instinct, the objective of the Smart School pedagogy has been designed to enhance and let the learning process more interesting, motivating, stimulating, and meaningful. It will involve the expanded of the children’s minds, spiritual, and bodies in the learning process, in cause to build basic skills of the children for greater challenges over the time, and cater for a range of needs and capabilities among the students. The major inputs of the Smart School resources are students, teachers, technology and tools and also the Ministry of Education, in the form of curriculum specification, financing, and management and control functions.
To make this Smart School project success, it really needed the co-operation of the stakeholder. For example, teachers will need intensive training to get use to information technology and in which they can applies into classroom activities to enhance thinking and creativity skills. Smart School teachers will also need to learn to facilitate and encourage students to responsible and design of their own learning strategies. In the long term, these teachers will need to refresh their skills regularly, if they are to stay abreast of developments in their profession and remain confident in their application of the technology. For Principals in Smart Schools will need intensive training to equip them to manage the new facilities, technologies and methodologies deployed in their schools. For parent, they also have to participate at least in provide individualized education for students. This task will go beyond monitoring the child’s
progress, and providing guidance, motivation, and counsel, it will require familiarity with the new educational processes, a willingness to assist with developing teaching-learning and assessment materials, as well as the ability to access the school’s public domain databases electronically.
Ministry of Education officers have to play their roll in this project because they play a major role in planning, coordinating, monitoring, and evaluating Ministry programmed.
On 30th December, I went to Sekolah Menengah Seri Lipis ,Luala Lipis which is one of two Smart School in Kuala Lipis District. I had an interview with the stakeholder in the school. From my interview, I can assume that the stakeholder is facing some problems to perform in the Smart School project. For examples, the main ideas of Smart School project are to use computer, computer software and internet up to 80% in the classroom. But it’s difficult to happen in teaching and learning process in class room because by the end of the days, teachers tried to finish the syllabus. One of the Science’s teachers said that, he never used the Smart School software because it is in Bahasa Melayu. He more prefer of using the PPSMI software in classroom. Some teacher also looked like they are comfortable of using chock and talk in classroom which is more practical and save the precious time. Some teachers said that using the computer and computer software will take time especially to setup all the devise related. Some of them also admit that they are uncomfortable and afraid to used computer, not only in classroom but also in daily life.
I also asked some parents in the school about the Smart School. I had various fit back from them. Some said that they never heard and know about Smart School. Some said that they had heard about it before but do not know how it been implementing in the school. It shows that the implementing of the Smart School is not completely happen among the stakeholder. Parents also do not know to play their part in the Smart School project. Among the students, most of them also had no ideas of Smart School. Although they always used the computer in computer laboratory or access center, but they are not relies that it is one of the Smart School character.
In my opinion, there are factor that should be taken into consideration in implementing the Smart School concept. To transforming traditional schools into Smart Schools, it will need the serious and co-operation among the stakeholder, from students to Ministry of Education officer. It will require a significant commitment of resources, but the nation will benefit from the change for many years to come. What was always been talking, our Ministry of Education always changes it objective and focus related to the changes of it Minister. Just like some of the teachers said, they are confused about the project of Smart School and the implementing of PPSMI. The Smart School success will require support from many stakeholders, sufficient funds to establish and maintain Smart Schools. It also needs appropriate policies, norms, and guidelines to support the schools, sufficient deployment of information technology to enable the Smart Schools to function properly. It also needs to focus in various aspects especially on professional development for teachers, principals, and other educational personnel.
[1] Datuk Yusoff Harun (2007).Wawancara Mingguan Malaysia.