TANJONG KARANG, Sept 24 — The Education Ministry (MOE) has mobilised a Smart Support Team (SST) and an Academic Support Team (AST), to assist students stranded at temporary relief centres (PPS) due to floods in Kedah and Perak.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the SST and AST, which include teachers, play a vital role in providing psychosocial support and counselling, as well as educational assistance to the affected students.
“As of this morning, 677 students remain in the PPS, mostly in Kedah with 670, and seven in Perak.
“I visited several MOE institutions designated as PPS in Kedah yesterday to check on the condition of the students and their families there,” she said after launching the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Hub under the Petronas Foundation’s Teacher Ambassador programme today.
As at 8am today, the reported number of flood evacuees in Kedah and Perak stands at 6,833, who are sheltering at 34 PPS, down from 7,210 last night.
Commenting on today’s programme, Fadhlina encouraged teachers to enhance their skills to spark their students’ interest in STEM, thereby nurturing a generation that is knowledgeable and sustainable.
“We are delighted to welcome the first STEM Hub in Selangor, and we have also been informed by Petronas Foundation that more such hubs will be developed in the northern and southern regions.
“We are hopeful this STEM hub and our collaboration with the Teacher Activity Centre, as well as the involvement of teachers and communities, will stimulate interest in STEM and elevate the potential of our students in this field,” she added.
The STEM hub, managed by the Petronas Foundation, aims to provide a space for the teaching community to enhance the implementation of the STEM curriculum.
It focuses on creating a more robust and relevant educational experience by integrating technology and modern teaching aids that meet current needs.
Regarding regulations on recording and broadcasting images of students, Fadhlina said the MOE has issued a new circular and guidelines on the matter on August 21.
“The reminder was issued well in advance and is very important for all parties involved. The ministry’s priority is the safety of children in schools.
“In the guidelines, we have reminded teachers about the necessary permissions required from parents when creating content. We take this issue of consent seriously because we do not want to raise any significant concerns, particularly regarding the safety of children,” she emphasised.
She was responding to a question about whether the MOE plans to review the regulations regarding recordings and broadcasts involving school students, in light of an incident where a bus driver posted content featuring primary school students on his social media account.
— Bernama
