Adam Prakash Abdullah
KUCHING: The upward revision of the Jaringan Prihatin Programme smartphone subsidy under the new Strategic Programme to Empower the People and Economy (Pemerkasa) will greatly benefit students, said Sarawak Teachers Union (STU) president Adam Prakash Abdullah.
He said the subsidy increase will enable more families with limited income to purchase smartphones for their children to aid them in their studies.
“The subsidy is a good opportunity for schoolchildren to gain access to educational materials through the internet,” he said in a statement.
Adam said this after Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced Wednesday that under Pemerkasa, the RM180 subsidy has been revised to RM300 for the purchase of new smartphones and that this will be offered to households with school-going children.
He added that STU also hoped that telecommunication companies would continue to strive to offer affordable internet packages as well as additional quotas to students.
Meanwhile, Adam said the use of smartphones should be allowed in schools, saying the pandemic has shown the importance of the internet in teaching and learning.
“Teachers should continue to adopt the 21st-century learning system where students are educated to find additional information for their learning through internet searches.
“Hopefully, schoolchildren and parents can adopt a paradigm shift in the world of education. Educate children to use smartphones smartly as well,” he said.
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