A student checks her phone’s internet connection in order to download online class work on Pulau Aman January 22, 2021. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
TAWAU, June 26 — Not wanting to miss the home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) sessions, students in Wallace Bay, Pulau Sebatik near here travelled about 30km or 40 minutes by motorcycle to Sungai Tongkang just to find a better internet connection.
In sharing this, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Wallace Bay senior assistant for student affairs Sibrin Daie said the poor internet coverage in Wallace Bay and surrounding areas had forced the students to go out of their homes to take part in PdPR sessions.
“The phone line is fine but we are having trouble connecting to the internet. There is a need to improve internet coverage in Pulau Sebatik to allow the PdPR sessions to run smoothly,” he told reporters after receiving 10 smartphones from the Tawau Red Crescent Society for the less fortunate students at the school here, today.
Sibrin said there were 266 students in SMK Wallace Bay who mostly come from low-income families and a majority of them did not own a mobile phone, thus the contribution would make it easier for them to take part in online classes.
“These mobile phones will be given to 10 eligible students. We know at SMK Wallace Bay many students are sharing mobile phones with their parents. So, if the parents go to work, they will not be able to attend the PdPR session,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tawau Red Crescent Society chairman Pang Pak Chung said the aid programme targeted secondary school students who did not have a mobile phone, and 10 students in SMK Wallace Bay have met the requirement based on the applications submitted by the school. — Bernama