Free online tuition prepares students from 5 secondary schools for SPM examination
SIBU: A total of 796 fifth formers from five secondary schools have been selected for the iTTV elearning programme which offers free online tuition to prepare for the coming Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
The programme costing about RM350,000 is sponsored by Borneo eLearning Sdn Bhd and service centres of Nangka and Samariang.
Assistant Minister of Education and Technological Research Dr Annuar Rapaee said the pilot project, which is the first of its kind in Sarawak, runs concurrently for 48 days for three schools in Nangka state constituency and two in Samariang state constituency.
The three schools in Nangka are SMK Kampung Nangka (139 students), SMK Jalan Oya (96) and SMK Agama (105) while the two in Samariang are SMK Semerah Padi (285) and SMK Demak Baru (171).
“The Form 5 students from the five selected schools will, under the programme, be given free tuition to prepare for SPM, which is only 48 days away. They are given user ID and password today (yesterday) to log into the programme using gadgets like tablets, smart phones or computers to do revision anywhere and anytime so long as there is wifi connection.
“Students can click on any topic they want to revise under the programme, for example, Algebra for which they can access a recording of a teacher conducting a lesson. On top of that, exercises are provided for students to do, with marks given. The topics are based on the Ministry of Education’s syllabus.
“We can monitor how much time students spend logging into the programme as a report will be provided. I have seen for myself this programme and it’s good. Teachers are selected for their lessons to be recorded on video.
“It’s good for those who don’t have a chance to attend private tuition. The lessons recorded can be played back,” said Dr Annuar who is also Assistant Minister of Housing and Public Health.
He told reporters this when met at SMK Kampung Nangka here yesterday after officiating at the iTTV e-learning programme (free online tuition) for Form 5 students from the five selected schools.
Also present were iTTV chairman Dato Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar and wife Datin Norma Norell, CEO of iTTV Education Malaysia Tan Boon Heng, Borneo e-learning director Syarifah Azizah Syed Aman Ghazali, SMK Kampung Nangka principal Kiew Soon Lee and parent-teacher association (PTA) chairman Musa Rambli.
Dr Annuar who is Nangka assemblyman said he would work on the pilot project with Samariang assemblyman Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
He said if the response from students is good, he might extend the programme to nine primary schools and three secondary schools in Nangka.
“For primary schools, we will focus on pupils from Primary 4 to 6, while secondary level, from Form 1 to 6,” he added.
He said students without wifi access can do revision by going to the Resource Centre in school where there are computers to access the lesson, but it is offline.
Dr Annuar wants students to maximise use of the programme and give their feedback on it.
He said they are fortunate for the help to get good grades namely 10 weeks’ tuition provided free at UCTS, coupled with the iTTV elearning programme (free online tuition).
He hoped such measures could improve the GPS of the three schools here as reflected in more students getting good grades.
Tan meanwhile briefed on how the e-learning programme works.