KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has assured that rural schools are not being left behind in the implementation of the national education digitalisation policy, said Deputy Minister Wong Kah Woh.
He said claims that rural schools were being marginalised were inaccurate, noting that out of 110 educational institutions involved in the hybrid class pilot project, 41 were rural schools – demonstrating the MOE’s commitment to a fair and inclusive approach.
“This clearly shows that in every initiative or project, MOE ensures no school is left behind or marginalised in the digital transformation of education.
“This year, the ministry will also implement a pilot project for the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered classroom programme involving 11 schools, including one in Sarawak – Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Lanang,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Wong was replying to a supplementary question from Ahmad Johnie Zawawi (GPS-Igan), who asked for assurance that rural schools would not be left behind in the implementation of the education digitalisation programme.
In a related development, Wong also said that as of June 2025, a total of 405,158 education service officers (PPP) have undergone digital competency training as part of efforts to equip teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills in the digital field.
He said that of the total, 23.81 per cent were at the basic level, 74.37 per cent at the intermediate level, while 1.81 per cent had reached the advanced level.
He also informed the Dewan Rakyat that the ministry is currently in the fourth phase of enhancing information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, involving 1,801 schools that are still lacking in ICT equipment.
“To address this, a total of 31,724 devices will be distributed under an allocation of RM230 million. The implementation, scheduled from 2025 to 2030, is currently in the procurement assessment phase,” he said. – Bernama
