BETONG: Betong District became the 7th location for the ‘STEM Catalysts - Raspberry Pi 2025’ tour programme, which took place at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Abang Abdul Kadir on Monday, involving the participation of eight schools around the Betong District Education Office (PPD) area.
The programme, organised by the Ministry for Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) in collaboration with the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) and Sarawak Skills, aims to expand access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, especially for rural students.
Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Dato Gerald Rentap Jabu was present to witness the implementation of the programme which intended to spark interest among students in the field of technology.
“Thank you to MEITD for bringing this initiative to a rural area like Betong.
"Today, students from eight schools had the opportunity to participate in various hands-on activities using Raspberry Pi kits that were fun and aligned with the curriculum,” he said.
The Layar Assemblyman stressed that coding is one of the key skills of the future, especially with the emergence of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
“Our children need to master these skills to fully harness the potential of AI.
"Exposure to sensors, hydraulic systems, robotic arms, AI-controlled devices and drone racing directly supports MEITD’s target of increasing student participation in STEM to 60 per cent by 2030,” he added.
Among the participating schools were SK Abang Abdul Kadir, SJKC Chung Hua Betong, SK St Augustine, SK Nanga Passa, SK Nanga Gayau, SK Nanga Ajau, SK Balingan and SMK Ulu Layar.
Also present were the representative of Betong District Education Officer, Azman Mantaril, UTS Officer, Wallace Wong, Sarawak Skills Officer, Nurul Huda Nadzira and Headmaster of SK Abang Abdul Kadir, Awang Marali Awang Razali.
This roadshow programme is scheduled to take place in 18 PPD areas throughout Sarawak and continues to play an important role in building the technology foundation among students from an early stage. -UKASnews
