4,500 TEACHERS NATIONWIDE TO PARTICIPATE IN TEACHER AMBASSADOR PROGRAMME, IMPROVE TEACHING SKILLS

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 -- About 4,500 teachers across the country are expected to participate in the Ministry of Education Malaysia - Petronas Foundation Teacher Ambassador Programme 'to enhance Higher-order Thinking Skills (HOTS) through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Petronas Foundation chief executive officer Lita Osman said in line with the country's transition to the Industrial Revolution 4.0, the programme also aimed at instilling 21st-century learning approaches in teaching STEM to 3.9 million students by 2030.

"Teachers are now tasked with instilling interest among students, especially in STEM. Therefore, the teachers who deal with the students on a daily basis should be given continous support.

"The teachers participating in the programme will be incorporated into a Professional Learning Community (PLC) and nurtured to serve as exemplary teachers.

"The Ambassador Programme will continue to strengthen the skills of teachers to enhance the quality and impact of STEM delivery in public schools, especially for schools where the majority of students are from the B40 (Bottom 40) families," she said when speaking at the opening ceremony of the programme at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre ( KLCC) here, today.

Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik, who launched the programme, said it would equip STEM teachers to become more knowledgeable and highly skilled in their respective fields.

"Like it or not, we need to acknowledge and realise that times are changing. Education itself is a continuous process that goes according to the times. With unprecedented digital growth, mastering STEM is very necessary and timely.

"Therefore, I strongly believe that a programme that strengthens the skills and abilities of such teachers will be one of the moves for us to continue to position the teaching profession as a profession of choice," he said in his speech.

A total of 150 teachers were selected to participate in the first batch of the two-year programme which begins in January 2020.

The Petronas Foundation is Petronas' corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm with a mission to contribute to the well-being of the community, and enhance the quality of life and the community's socio-economy through a variety of focus areas including education and the environment.

BERNAMA ONLINE