By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, March 12: A wave of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) excitement is sweeping across Sarawak as the statewide STEM carnival tour kicks off, aiming to reach over 6,000 primary school students in 130 schools between April and July 2025.
According to Sarawak Minister for Education, Innovation, and Talent Development (MEITD), Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, the tour is part of the STEM Catalysts – Raspberry Pi 2025 initiative, aimed at promoting hands-on and engaging STEM learning, particularly among students in rural areas.
“STEM Catalysts brings STEM exhibits and activities to schools to educate, excite, and inspire our pupils. It is a touring STEM carnival.
“We experimented with Catalysts in 2024 with schools in Kota Samarahan, Serian, and Sri Aman. It was a great success.
“We reached out to over 1,000 pupils in 12 schools. The main feedback we received was that schools had never experienced such a deep level of STEM engagement before — especially at the primary school level,” he said during the STEM Catalysts Raspberry Pi press conference held today at Sarawak Skills here.
The minister added, “This year, we are more ambitious. Between April and July, my team will visit 18 Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah (PPDs), reaching over 6,000 pupils across more than 130 primary schools — from Lundu in the south to Kanowit in central Sarawak, and Baram in the north.”
Sagah further mentioned that students will gain hands-on experience with sensors and actuators in their Reka Bentuk dan Teknologi classes, using pulleys and hydraulics to lift objects, calculating the speed of falling objects in a vacuum, generating hydrogen and lighting it, controlling robotic arms manually and with AI, drone racing, and more.
“My ministry is determined to inculcate in our young ones, and even our grown-ups, a deep interest in STEM.
“We set a target of 60 per cent student enrolment in STEM by 2030. We are currently only at 45.7 per cent.
“We are relentless in making sure that our people are equipped with strong STEM knowledge as we march together towards Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS),” he said.
Also present was MEITD deputy minister Datuk Francis Harden Hollis. — DayakDaily
