Kota Bharu: CIMB Foundation today launched its information and communication technology (ICT) empowerment programme at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pulau Kundor (SKPK) – a dedicated ICT programme which aims to provide rural school students, particularly those in Year 5 access to online learning and revision programmes. SKPK is one of the 10 rural schools adopted by the Foundation under the auspices of the PINTAR programme.

The launch was officiated by Tuan Haji Mohd Adnan Mohd Noor, Head of Academic Management Sector, Kelantan State Education Department, and was witnessed by Dato’ Mohd Shukri Hussin, Chief Executive Officer, CIMB Foundation and Hanapi Ab Rahman, Principal of Sekolah Kebangsaan Pulau Kundor.

In driving ICT reach to rural schools in Malaysia, the Foundation furnished the school’s computer lab with 22 new personal computers (PCs) and air conditioners – facilitating the school with the necessary resources to boost access to knowledge and learning. All Year 5 students who will be sitting for their UPSR examination next year will also receive a subscription to Tutor, an online education portal by Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad. 

“We are encouraged with the progress of our ICT programme, which is also run in another pilot school -- Sekolah Kebangsaan Utan Aji, Perlis. Not only did the students enjoy the benefits of Tutor, such as sample examination questions and real-time assessment, but the students have also had the opportunity to enhance their ICT literacy as well, fostering their interest and competency in this area,” said Dato’ Mohd Shukri.

“With the addition of the school’s PCs from 10 units to 32 units, the school is able to improve the student-to-PC ratio to 2:1, providing the students with better access to PCs. With better access, the school and the Foundation will be able to better monitor and track the students’ performance and use of the ICT facilities,” explained Dato’ Shukri. “We hope that with this ICT programme, the students will be better prepared for their UPSR examinations and improve their academic performance,” he added. 

At the launch, CIMB Foundation also announced the subscription of 50 copies of Berita Harian each week for a year for the school, to enable the students to benefit from Didik, the publication’s education pull-out. In conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration, the school children were treated to a festive lunch as well.