KOTA BARU, March 26 — The cooperation of all quarters is vital in instilling passion and creating awareness among students on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), said Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Mary Yap Kain Ching.
She said such a cooperation could be implemented via the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) initiative where the relevant quarters in education would work together to plan and carry out activities, in order to achieve the objective.
“The country is facing a shortage of students who are keen on science and technology (subjects) at the school level, and the impact can be felt at the tertiary level.
“The objective of the country is to have a 60:40 ratio between science and non-science (stream) students, and this requires great efforts from all parties including the educators, parents and the society as a whole,” she told reporters after launching the Kelantan Chapter of the National STEM Movement, here today.
Also present were Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) deputy vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ibrahim Che Omar, who is also UMK Chapter National Professors Council (MPN) chairman; National STEM Movement chairman Prof Datuk Dr Noraini Idris; and State Education director Jaafar Ismail.
Meanwhile, Yap said the movement was a form of collaboration between MPN, UMK, National STEM Movement and Kelantan Education Department to cultivate interest among the students on STEM.
“The programme will serve as a platform for its participants to discuss and share information as well as experience on latest issues, challenges and strategies to empower the subjects among students,” she added. — Bernama
