NEWS: Corporate Help

The Education Ministry is working with corporations to involve students in projects to enhance their problem-solving skills.

THE Education Ministry's objective is to produce all-round students who have the ability to think and cope in situations beyond the classroom.

According to Education deputy director-general (Schools) Datuk Noor Rezan Bapoo Hashim, students are already participating in co-curricular activities at school.

They can join in the various uniformed associations, sports clubs and societies.

However, she says that students are encouraged to join programmes initiated by multi-national companies (MNCs) as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Noor Rezan says that areas beyond the Klang Valley should benefit from the programmes.

“These programmes are about coping with simple and complex tasks and about grooming students to rise to the challenges of being leaders and team players,'' says Noor Rezan.

She adds that companies will usually approach the ministry with ideas and proposals.

“We, on our part, can offer suggestions on the implementation of the programmes and provide information on the target groups that would benefit most from them.

“We also have to take into consideration students and teachers who are roped in for these projects, as some may already be burdened with other chores. Students with extra workload and those in examination-classes cannot engage in these activities.”

Noor Rezan says the ministry would like the companies to offer the programmes to areas beyond the Klang Valley.

“Our request is for these programmes to be carried out in rural areas so that students there will be given the exposure and opportunity to pick up skills,” she says.

This, she adds, addresses the fourth thrust under the National Education Blueprint 2006 to 2010, which is mainly to narrow the gap between schools in urban and rural areas.

The ministry, she says, is presently collaborating with UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd through its Toyota Eco Youth (TEY) programme.

Launched in 2001, TEY selected 16 schools, both in urban and rural areas, and has since informed and educated the students on the importance of conserving the environment.

Each school has a website that gives regular written and visual updates on the environmental issue which it has chosen as its project.

The project can be based on something that affects the school premises, or its surrounding areas.

With the information they have, the students will have to analyse the problem, provide suggestions on how the problem can be overcome, and set up a procedure to ensure the results achieved, can be sustained over a long period of time.

Each team has to demonstrate that through analysis, research and action, it is able to resolve the issue with effective and sustainable methods.

The teams will each have an on-site evaluation this month, and a final exhibition during a convention to be held in late August.

During the convention, teams will put forward the findings of their project in a 15 minute presentation to a panel of judges.

The winning team will receive RM10,000.

The second and third prize winners will each receive RM7,000 and RM5,000 respectively.

Another RM3,000 and RM1,000 has been allocated for the fourth and fifth prize winners.

There will also be prizes for best presentation, best exhibition and best website.