By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Jan 25: The government has been urged to assist students from B40 families by providing free computer or electronic gadgets for the students to receive education through online learning.
Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong, in a press statement today, said many students from the B40 families were left out from online studies due to their parents’ financial constraints.
She noted that most of their parents were not able to purchase a computer or electronic devices with stable internet connection for their children to receive online education.
Given their predicament, Yong is dismayed that many children from the B40 families were unable to follow online learning at home during the current situation of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Two days ago, when I visited a family living at Jalan Stapok Utama area, I see it with my own eyes that three children in the family who are now in primary studies are not able to join the e-learning classes because their parents could not afford to provide them any computer or electronic devices to join the online classes.
“The mother of the children informed that their household income was just enough to put food on the table and there is no extra money to buy computer or new smartphone and subscribe internet service for their kids to study online,” Yong said.
Citing feedback from the mother, Yong said the children’s academic performance were being compromised and affected as a result of not having the chance to join the online classes when teachings were being conducted.
Hence, Yong who is also a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak, called on the federal and state governments to fix the learning gap by providing free computer or compatible electronic gadget with stable internet access to children from B40 families.
She asserted that it is important for all school going children to receive proper education through electronic learning classes during the current new norm of education and ensure that no child is being left out.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the alarming situation of the coronavirus in Sarawak, Yong opined that it is unlikely for students in the country to return back to schools for normal classroom studies anytime soon.
She noted e-learning or online classes has now become the new norm in education and is inevitable.
In view of that, Yong called on the government to tackle the issue without delay as the responsibility of ensuring every school student receives proper education through e-classes lies with the government. —DayakDaily
