FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

SSI 3013
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN
SCIENCE

ASSIGNMENT 1:
CHALLENGES OF BUILDING SMART SCHOOL IN
MALAYSIA

STUDENT NAME & MATRIC NOR DALILA BINTI ZAKARIA

NUMBER (D20151070996)
NOR AINUN FATHIYAH BINTI
SHAHRULBAHRI
(D20161073907)
NUR ATIKAH BINTI ABDUL
LATEP (D20161073916)

LECTURER’S NAME ENCIK AZMI BIN IBRAHIM

GROUP A

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CONTENT

NO. CONTENT PAGE

1 INTRODUCTION
2 HISTORY
3 OBJECTIVES
4 CHALLENGES
5 CONCLUSION
6 REFERENCES

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

The rapid growth in Information Communication and Technologies (ICT) has brought

remarkable changes in the twenty-first century. It has become increasingly important in our daily

lives and our educational system. Realizing the emerging importance of ICT there is a growing

demand on educational institutions to use ICT to teach the skills and knowledge students need for

the 21st century (Gülbahar, 2007). This requires effective adoption of technologies into an existing

environment in order to provide learners with knowledge of specific subject areas, promote

meaningful learning and enhance professional productivity (Tomei, 2005). Malaysia has embarked

on several technology initiatives to spearhead the adoption of ICT in schools, particularly at the

turn of the 21st century. The initiatives were brought forth with the aim of motivating rapid

economic growth and development. With the vision of becoming a developed nation by the year

2020, Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE) implemented several ICT programs in schools

nationwide in an attempt to bring technology into the classrooms such as the Computer Literacy

Pilot Project, Computer in Education, Computer Aided Instruction and Learning, National

Educational Network, Munsyi Network and Smart schools (Rosnaini & Mohd, 2009).

In July 1997, the Malaysian Smart School Project was launched. The smart school initiative

is one of the seven flagship applications that are part of the Malaysian Multimedia Super Corridor

(MSC) project. This initiative began with a pilot project with a group of 88 schools in 1999. The

schools served as the nucleus for the eventual nationwide smart school concepts, materials, skills

and technologies (Bakar & Mohamed, 2008). The introduction of the smart school project saw a

change in the educational system; from conventional learning and examination-oriented culture to

an electronic learning system or e-learning. In this context, the Malaysian smart school could be

defined as a learning institution that has been systematically reinvented in terms of its teaching

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practices as well as school management in order to prepare Malaysian children for the information

age and fulfil vision 2020.

2.0 HISTORY

The smart school Project of Malaysia was developed in early 1996 with contribution of

Ministry of Education. By the end of the year, smart school had become one of the seven flagship

applications of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project, promoted by the Multimedia

Development Corporation (MDC). In July 1997, The Conceptual Blueprint of Malaysian smart

school was produced by a project team, which consisted of industry representatives, officials from

the Ministry of Education. A conceptual document entitled “The Malaysian Smart School: A

Conceptual Blueprint” explained that the Malaysian Smart School concept was derived from best

practices from around the world, as well as from the best grown practices of teachers and educators

in Malaysia.

The smart school project is implemented by the Ministry of Education (MoE), Malaysia.

Subsequent to the Pilot Wave and the evaluation, gaps were identified in terms of technology,

infrastructure, support, and human resources. The Post-Pilot Wave focused on identifying

measures to plug these gaps and ensure course correction before the smart school is rolled out to

all schools in Malaysia. ‘The Malaysian smart school Roadmap 2005-2020’ proposed four

milestones and following four waves for smart school implementation plan.

There were four implementation waves:

Wave 1 – The Pilot Phase (1999-2002): Implementation on 88 schools

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Wave 2 – The Post-Pilot (2002-2005): Massive computerization phase to all 10 000 schools

Wave 3 – Making All Schools Smart (2005-2010): Extending the digital transformation to all

Wave 4 – Consolidate and Stabilize (2010-2020): Technology becomes an integral part of the

nation’s learning process

3.0 OBJECTIVES

The smart school vision brings together the vital components required to exploit

technology to improve the system and delivery of education to children to achieve the following

objective (Lubis, 2009):

• To produce a thinking and technology literate workforce

• To develop a workforce for the Information Age

• To develop students physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually

• To provide opportunities to improve individual strengths and abilities

• To democratize education

4.0 CHALLENGES

4.1.1 Technical support team is not enough.

The Smart School program in Malaysia is continuously focusing on to develop its

professional staff, its educational resources and its administrative capabilities. Based on

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(Galil 2014) in “The main two criteria for successful of smart schools is are well-designed

technical support and skilled staff”. Software glitches, hardware problems and wireless

connectivity are main problems that happened at Smart School. The teachers itself are not

skillful enough to repair themselves. The importance of technical support in schools as to

embrace digital innovation. A technical support staff performs functions that can affect the

overall operation of schools. They can help to solve issues with software applications,

perform networking installations and repair.

Singapore is one of the country that use ICT methods in education. Some initiatives were

developed in order to stride ICT infrastructure for better education. Teachers in school were

trained with the skills they need for use of ICT in education. Hence, Malaysian Education

Department should provide technical support team for each school to increase the

productivity and efficiency of Smart School program.

4.1.2 Teachers are not interested in using IT to teach.

The Smart School program is using ICT as teaching and learning in classroom. ICT

technology can improve learning environment and enhance the learning process. The

teacher itself actually must have interest and skill to use ICT technology as a part of

learning in the class. There’s some issue that teachers at school are prefer using traditional

learning rather than virtual learning. They believe that teacher centered learning is more

efficient.

Other than that, they think that by using virtual learning in the class is wasting their time.

This is because of poor maintenance of ICT facilities.

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4.1.3 Low budget to maintain the equipment

Equipment of infrastructure facilities are the most important factors. This problem is due

to internet excess and connectivity is factor for the smart school implementation. Not all

school has complete ICT equipment. This caused a problem to teachers and also students.

The computer and facilities that provided are limited and this is less efficient. At the same

time, this also make burden towards teachers and students especially for rural school areas

that are far from the city and least in ICT facilities. These obstacles will make our smart

school less successful.

As the use of technology in the smart school is norm, therefore it will be very costly. As

we know, the price of each technology such as computer and LCD projector are very

expensive and costly to buy. It will be the issues and challengers when we need to take all

the school in Malaysia as smart school standard. Besides, the possibility for the tools like

projector and other tools damage are high because the ICT equipment are very sensitive

and easy to damage. It need a good care and if this equipment were damaged, it will take

long time to be repaired because of the cost to repair is also too expensive and need expert

technician to repair that equipment.

4.1.4 Lack of awareness about Smart School

The other challengers is lack of awareness in all people about Smart School. Most of parent

do not concern about Smart School project due to busy with their work. They think that the

government and the teachers only responsible for implementing Smart School education

projects. They do not care about it without thinking for their children sake. Besides, most

people feel that smart school is same with normal school. They think smart school is school

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that only for smart student. They do not have disclosure of smart school. They have

misunderstood about this. So the government should need to organize a carnival to promote

smart school program to public to dismiss the misconception.

4.1.5 Server problem and inconsistent internet service available.

A hotspot is a physical locations where people may obtain internet access, typically using

Wi-Fi technology, via a wireless local area network (WLAN) using a router connected to

an internet service provider. Basically, a smart school need this as the main medium to

keep in connecting. But how about the smart in rural area? For sure, there will be a server

problem and inconsistent internet service to access into the internet. Internet access is one

of the medium for helping teachers to convey right information to their students. Teachers

may show their students with many interactive videos from the YouTube and this can be

one of the medium to attract their students to be in the class. Teachers need to face when

too many people used the same web at the same time. This leads a lot of line traffic, then

it will slow down. At its current level, the web server can only serve a certain number of

people at once. The more people use the web, the slower they get served. Not only that, the

server will try to manage all the extra traffic, but it will slow down somewhere.

4.1.6 Poor maintenance of ICT facilities due to financial problems

In addition, in order to build one multimedia room for a school, thousands or may up to

million cost are needed. Multimedia infrastructures actually need in a large fund to run. A

proper electrical wiring, ventilation, safety and so on are needed in a large cost. Besides, a

large budget also needed in order to prepare the student with new digital apparatus in

laboratory especially for science students. Moreover, costs are needed too in order to train

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 the teacher and exposed the veteran teachers with something news and many ICT tools in

the classroom. A large cost needed to buy hardware, software, maintenance and also

training the skilful staff. These new pedagogical skills are playing important role in

conveying information and attracting subjects to the students but the educational goals need

balance with our country’s economic realities.

5.0 CONCLUSION

The smart policy has been planned and managed to prepare Malaysian students to become

more knowledgeable and skilled workers for information age. This is in line with the

country’s key goal of vision 2020. The main aim of the government in establishing the

smart school policy needs continues monitoring and evaluation in terms of technology

performance as well as teacher and student performance. This is because the smart school

system as a whole comprises two aspects wish are the factors related to ICT and those

related to technology us by humans. The opportunities given to students will help them to

enhance and promote creative and critical thinking, self-directed as well a self-managed

learning. Although, there is a lot of obstacles has been done to achieve the goals, objectives

and values of the smart school project since its establishment, there are still opportunities

to do more improvement in the implementation of the smart school in Malaysia. The

government and ministry of education should emphasized the views of the teachers and

students and taken into account their experiences in smart school. This action will provide

evidences for future development in policy to making concerning educational change in

Malaysia.

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 6.0 REFERENCES

Omidinia, S., Masrom, M., and Selamat, H., (2012). Smart School Issues and Challenges

(Primary Finding Of Interviews). Retrieved September 13, 2019 from:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287420520_SMART_SCHOOL_SYSTEM_IS
SUES_AND_CHALLENGES_PRIMARY_FINDING_OF_INTERVIWS

Malaysia,B. T (nd,). The Malaysian Smart Schools: Developing 21st Centuries.

Retrieved September 13, 2019 from:

http://www.jaet.jp/katudou/seminar_ict/Malaysia.pdf

Fadzliaton Zainuddin, (2015). A Malaysian Smart School: A Conceptual Blueprint. Retrieved

September 19, 2019 from:

https://www.slideshare.net/Fadzliaton/the-malaysian-smart-school-a-conceptual-blueprint-
54597455

Zaenab S. M., Zailin S. Y. (2015). Are We ‘Smarter’ Now? Case Study of Smart School

Implementation in a Developing Nation, Journal of Studied in Education, 5(3), 236-

258. Retrieved September 19, 2019 from: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/159185163.pdf

The Telegraph, UK (2019). Traditional Teaching: Effective Teaching.

From: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/10985140/Traditional-
teaching-effective-teaching.html

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