DIGITAL TEXTBOOK SYSTEM BEING TESTED
It may solve problem of heavy school bags, says deputy minister
TRIALS are under way to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of using digital textbooks in schools.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon said the trials were necessary before the new education system could be implemented.
“If the system works, we believe that it will solve the problem of heavy school bags, which has been raised repeatedly by parents. We are confident that digital textbooks will help students become more active in class, as opposed to traditional textbooks.”
Chong, however, said the system would be costly and that the ministry would need time to evaluate its feasibility.
“I know of one school in Johor using digital textbooks. The ministry will likely refer to the school to see how it is being done.
“We are looking at whether students need to download digital textbooks on their own or given tablets to do so,” he said at the Gabungan Persatuan Keturunan Cina’s Chinese New Year Open House here yesterday.
Present was state MCA chairman Datuk Seri Dr Lim Chin Fui.
The digitalisation of school textbooks is being done in three phases, as per the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025, with the first phase launched in 2014.
For the second phase (20162020), the ministry plans to produce interactive textbooks for selected subjects, which would contain texts, graphics, audio-visual and animation, to help students understand subjects better.
The third phase (2021-2025) will see the publication of digital textbooks for all subjects, including for students with special needs.
Chong, who is also MCA Youth chief, said the state MCA was ready to face the 14th General Election, which would see the party contesting two parliamentary seats and 10 state seats in Negri Sembilan.
“We are more prepared this time around.
“We have a dynamic team, which I believe will help MCA win all seats in the state,” said Chong, who had been selected as the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Seremban parliamentary constituency.