We urbanites tend to take education, technology and connectivity for granted. Unfortunately, for those in rural areas or for urban poor communities, they aren’t always so lucky. With the primary goal to improve academic performance for these communities, Maxis has announced the launch of Maxis eKelas—an after-school digital learning initiative that harnesses technology and the internet.
Unknown to most, Maxis has been piloting eKelas for the past 12 months, at 10 Pusat Internet 1Malaysia centres under Maxis’ care. These centres are located in Kedah, Kelantan, Selangor, Putrajaya, Sarawak and Negeri Sembilan. The pilot program has touched 1,200 students and has churned out a total of 450 hours of live tutorials. Maxis eKelas focuses on three core subjects—Science, Mathematics and English, for Form 1, 2 and 3 students.
Classes are held from 3-6PM on Fridays, and 10AM-6PM on Saurdays. Each session spans one hour.
In terms of content, the syllabus is in line with the Malaysian School Syllabus. eKelas is designed to be fun, vibrant and engaging. It offers technology-enabled teaching, giving students immediate access to experienced teachers, via live video tutorials. In a nutshell, eKelas helps bridge the digital divide between urban and rural communities by making education and technology accessible.
But all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy right? Sure. eKelas isn’t just about learning in the traditional context. It’s also about having fun, and participating in exciting activities as a group. There’s quizzes, competitions, holiday camps and motivational talks. These activities are conducted by passionate and committed volunteers from Maxis.
In her opening statement at the launch, Mariam Bevi Batcha, Maxis’ head of corporate affairs said Maxis is proud to be the first company to bring e-learning as a structured, after-school learning program to Pusat Internet 1Malaysia.
The initiative has the blessing and support of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). MCMC’s chief sector, communications and digital ecosystem cluster, YBhg. Dato’ Mohd Ali Hanafiah revealed that there are almost 730 PI1M centers around Malaysia currently. He was there to officiate the launch which was attended by the Maxis team, program partners, parents and 45 eKelas students who were part of the pilot.
Pusat Internet 1Malaysia is a government initiative under the 2013 Budget. Each centre is equipped with high speed broadband, Wi-Fi connectivity, IT facilities like computers, fax services, printers; as well as training and development programs.
There are 118 PI1M centers under Maxis’ care, and the green telco plans to expand the eKelas program across all these centres. It aims to reach over 100,000 students over the next five years. In 2017 alone, Maxis plans to roll eKelas to 10 PI1Ms and also plans to launch an eKelas portal that features a curated syllabus that will enable self-paced learning and collaboration.
For more information about Maxis eKelas, visit www.maxis.com.my/ekelas.
