PETALING JAYA: Selangor is set to roll out a pilot programme to help students and teachers adapt to artificial intelligence (AI), starting with selected schools in four districts.
Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the initiative is part of the state’s long-term plan to cultivate a generation equipped with critical thinking skills and a strong foundation in AI literacy.
“This is not just about being users or consumers of AI. We want to shape students to become creators and thinkers.
“We are starting with three schools per district, covering B40, urban and rural areas,” he said at a media conference at the launch of Advancing Future Skills for All (FS4A) Selangor Scale-Up yesterday.
He said the programme is in line with the Selangor Structure Plan 2035, particularly its focus on accelerating digital-led economic growth and ensuring inclusive, high-quality education opportunities for all.
Amirudin said the initiative, supported by Google and implemented by Arus Academy in collaboration with the Education Ministry, Unicef, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and CelcomDigi, is not just timely but also strategic.
“This programme is a brilliant example of what a public-private partnership can achieve. We have Google and CelcomDigi deeply committed to our communities and ensuring every Malaysian child gets vital digital skills,” he said at the launch.
“We have nearly one million students enrolled in public schools up to Form 6. This initiative aims to explore how AI-related skills can be integrated at scale across Selangor.
“A state-level white paper on AI is also being developed to support long-term policy planning.”
Arus Academy co-founder David Chak said the programme currently focuses on four districts – Gombak, Petaling Perdana, Petaling Utama and Klang.
Schools were selected based on demographic distribution, poverty levels and overall readiness, in close coordination with district education offices.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. We work with each school to understand its specific context and tailor support accordingly.”
At present, 88 schools are participating in the training. Each school sends one teacher and two students, and small grants of RM500 are provided to support school-based AI projects.
Chak said the FS4A platform, launched during the pandemic, now has over 270,000 users and more than two million page views.
Data analytics are employed to measure impact, track participation trends and enhance delivery across various school types.
To date, the programme has reached over 13,000 students, with 3,350 successfully completing the modules.
In its current phase, the programme aims to train at least 120 teachers across 40 schools by August, with classroom implementation expected to begin immediately thereafter.
CelcomDigi Sustainability head Philip Ling said Selangor was chosen for the programme due to its dense school population, making it an ideal testing ground following the initial rollout in rural Sarawak.
“These tactical choices allow us to refine our approach based on different school environments.”
Unicef education specialist Azlina Kamal said the programme was co-developed with the ministry and is integrated into national subjects such as Science and Design & Technology.
“Offline kits were also developed for students in rural and underserved areas, including indigenous and disabled communities, to ensure access without relying on internet connectivity.”
