KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 — Cerdik, a GLC-driven CSR pilot initiative to provide digital access to education via accessibility of devices and data connectivity, is targeting for at least 50,000 students to receive their devices by end-May, with the balance of 100,000 devices expected to be distributed by end-September 2021.
Currently, 13,000 devices have been distributed by Government Linked Companies /Government Linked Investment Companies (GLC/GLICs) to various State Education Departments, with more than 1,000 students having already received their devices, said Cerdik.
“Working in partnership with the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Ministry of Education (MOE), the pilot initiative aims to close the digital learning gap for primary and secondary schools in Malaysia and explore digital learning models for future adoption,” it said in a statement here today.
All devices have been certified as up-to-date with adequate capacity for software upgrades to serve a student for at least three years of his/her academic journey through school, with the appropriate quality, functionality and safety checks to prevent or minimise mishaps and learning disruptions.
“Cerdik is a digital learning pilot, and this is timely due to the rise of digitalisation in all aspects of society today. Digital transformation is now a prerequisite for the modern age. As we have seen in recent times, Covid-19 has made it clear that digitalisation is indispensable. Virtual learning, for example, was vital in limiting the disruption to school lessons and sustaining the delivery of education around the world,” said Senior Minister of Education Datuk Radzi Jidin.
He also reassured parents that all Cerdik devices come with the necessary technical support and warranty to minimise interruptions to digital learning.
“Covid-19 has accelerated digital adoption en masse, with remote learning increasingly becoming the norm. Cerdik was conceptualised to bridge the socio-economic gap by facilitating digital learning for the lower- income households.”
“This pilot project is a great enabler for digital learning, which must be a core component of our children’s education if we were to take advantage of the economic benefits afforded by the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Minister of Finance Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
The initiative has seen a positive response from recipients. Roslaini Rustam was grateful that her daughter, who is a student at Sekolah Kebangsaan Rantau Panjang, received a device.
“When teachers were having online classes during the pandemic, we had a problem as there were not enough gadgets to be shared between five siblings. I hope my children will use the device to improve themselves,” she said.
Another parent, Abdul Muslefi Mohd Yusop, whose child also attends Sekolah Kebangsaan Rantau Panjang, thanked all stakeholders involved in the initiative.
“We will use this laptop properly for our children in the long term. When I say long term, I mean we will take care of the device and ensure it is in good condition so that other children can use it as well,” he said.
Both ministries thanked the corporate donors whose generous contributions have made the Cerdik pilot programme a reality.
They include Khazanah Nasional Bhd and its group of companies, Yayasan PETRONAS, Permodalan Nasional Bhd and its group of companies, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and its group of companies as well as Lembaga Tabung Haji. — Bernama
