ISKANDAR PUTERI, Aug 23 ― The Johor government will start distributing a total of 8,000 electronic devices, comprising computers and mobile broadband internet, worth RM25 million for home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) sessions in September.
Johor Education, Information, Heritage and Culture Committee chairman Mazlan Bujang said the Johor Education Department has completed a distribution list for three of the highest recipient districts that is Johor Baru, Pasir Gudang and Kluang.
“The distribution of the devices involves 47 schools in Johor Baru with a total of 1,316 students, Pasir Gudang with 38 schools (1,064 students) and Kluang with 29 schools (812 students).
“The Johor government has chosen to distribute computer devices and mobile broadband internet to students from the B40 families and single mothers as it is more practical for usage as well as having a larger memory to accommodate PdPR sessions at home,” said Mazlan.
He said this while answering a question from Aminolhuda Hassan (Amanah-Parit Yaani) on the status of the initiative to provide 8,000 devices to students for the PdPR’s implementation in the statwme at the Johor state assembly in Kota Iskandar here today.
Mazlan, who is also the Puteri Wangsa assemblyman, said the devices will be used as a school asset and the facility would be loaned to underprivileged students.
Apart from that, he said special mobile broadband internet facilities will also be provided for students who will sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) in 2022 and it will be handed over to the respective schools.
Mazlan explained that the procurement process for 8,000 devices was implemented last month with the supply of devices to be distributed to schools and students starting early September and is expected to be fully completed by November this year.
“The challenge of securing the supply of devices caused by the global shortage in the supply chain has resulted in the devices being late to be distributed.
“However, the Johor government has also obtained direct cooperation with the device manufacturers without going through a third party to minimise the current disruption,” said Mazlan.
Last week, it was reported that National Parent-Teacher Association president Associate Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Ali Hassan proposed that PdPR sessions continue until the government can control the surge in Covid-19 infections.
“To support online learning, the Education Ministry needs to boost Internet connectivity in remote areas and provide more digital devices to underprivileged students.
“Otherwise, PdPR has shown remarkable success, especially with the National Grade Point Average for 2020 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates being the country’s best in the past five years,” he was reported as saying.
