Digital divide hampers e-learning from home

CORONAVIRUS | The digital divide between urban and rural areas is among the challenges faced by students and teachers as classes go online, said the National Parents-Teachers' Association.

Its president Mohamad Ali Hassan said students and teachers alike are caught in various levels of preparedness for online learning, especially in terms of internet access, infrastructure, and the availability of electronic devices.

Some were ready for the transition, but others were either confused or completely unprepared.

“The challenge is students’ and teachers’ preparedness for the methods of teaching and learning from home.

“Some have probably never done this before, and some don’t have any help trying to start lessons.

“There is also the problem of getting sufficient infrastructure and hardware ready,” he told Malaysiakini today.

He said such problems are more pronounced in the outskirts of cities, rural areas, and the interior.

Yesterday, former deputy education minister Teo Nie Ching urged the government to prepare a plan to help students follow lessons from home.

She said e-learning will be the "new normal" but the government must understand that not all students have access to digital platforms.

To tackle the problem, Mohammad Ali proposed that the Education Ministry and Higher Education Ministry collaborate with the other relevant ministries such as the Communications and Multimedia Ministry.

He said the government could form a group of e-learning experts to help improve the implementation of lessons, and ensure adequate internet access, a proper syllabus that is not cumbersome, and set up effective mechanisms for effective monitoring and evaluation.

He also urged that the government gather feedback from parents, guardians, and teachers to ensure that learning from home can be more effective.

“There should be a way to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of learning from home at every level, so that teachers and students are more disciplined, and enjoy using the facilities,” he said.

Apart from Teo, Sepanggar MP Azis Jamman (above) also raised the issue of obstacles to e-learning and urged telecommunications companies to provide free and unlimited data plans throughout the movement control order period.

Previously, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had announced that schools would be closed until the Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia can be curtailed.

Schools had been closed for holidays before the MCO was enforced from March 18, and students have not been to school for a month. - Mkini