KUCHING: Some 2,996 underprivileged students from 16 secondary schools in Sarawak were each given an iPad with data connectivity by Yayasan PETRONAS, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of PETRONAS, as part of a nationwide initiative to facilitate better access to online learning.
The recipients were from SMK Sematan, SMK Bau, SMK Penrissen, SMK Gedong, SMK Engkilili, SMK St Anthony, SMK Bandar Sarikei, SMK Julau, SMK Julau No.2, SMK Bandar Bintangor, SMK Agama Igan, SMK Three Rivers, SMK Baru Bintulu, SMK Sebauh, SMK Pujut and SMK Trusan.
According to a press statement issued on Thursday, the devices were distributed to them through the district education offices in Lundu, Bau, Padawan, Simunjan, Lubok Antu, Sarikei, Julau, Meradong, Dalat, Mukah, Bintulu, Tatau/Sebauh, Miri and Lawas from June 28 to July 6.
The contribution was part of Yayasan PETRONAS’ commitment to CERDIK, a pioneering CSR initiative by government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs).
CERDIK is aimed at supporting lower-income families to better adjust to the new normal of online lessons, e-learning and other forms of remote teaching.
“We want to provide equitable access to quality education for students so that no one will be left behind in the pursuit of academic excellence.” said PETRONAS Sarawak General Manager Zulaihi M Mantali
“With these contributions, we hope that more students, especially those from underprivileged and rural communities, will have better access to online lessons, especially when the country is under lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
Yayasan PETRONAS had distributed 12,000 iPads and supporting devices worth RM30 million to 81 schools in 69 districts nationwide since May 2021. Designed to support students’ learning requirements for three academic years, the devices come with free data services, maintenance, technical support and warranty.
Working in partnership with the Ministry of Education (MoE), the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and Yayasan Hasanah as well as other GLC and GLIC partners, Yayasan PETRONAS prioritises schools with a high percentage of students from underprivileged households.
CERDIK is a GLC-driven CSR pilot initiative announced in the Budget 2021 to provide digital access to education via accessibility of devices and data connectivity.
In partnership with the MoE and the MoF, the initiative is fully funded by GLCs, GLICs and the private sector, and it seeks to enable continuous learning in the new norm and provide education access to the most marginalised school children.
The Secretariat of the CERDIK initiative is Yayasan Hasanah, the charitable foundation of Khazanah Nasional Berhad.
