TERENGGANU CLASSROOMS TO BE EQUIPPED

Project collaboration between Terengganu State Government, Top IT Industries and Intel Malaysia assists in IT-based learning for 25,000 Year Five pupils

Kuala Lumpur, December 1, 2008 – Malaysia’s Terengganu State Government, Top IT Industries Sdn Bhd and Intel Malaysia today announced a collaborative MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) agreement to integrate technology into the classroom by deploying 25,000 Intel-powered Classmate PCs to Year Five pupils at Terengganu schools.

The state-wide project is part of the government’s ongoing effort to enhance the quality of education through direct ownership of portable PC devices and IT-based learning, giving pupils a new sense of enthusiasm for learning in the classroom and at home.

Ryaz Patel, Country Manager, Intel Malaysia and David Forsberg, Regional Director for Intel World Ahead Program in Asia Pacific showing the Intel-powered Classmate PCs that has been pre-loaded with digital PDF format of their school textbooks.

The project referred to as ‘Projek Buku Elektronik’ is the brainchild of the Terengganu State Government and represents a first step towards harnessing the benefits of technology to make education more efficient by delivering the school curriculum in digitized form that replaces heavy textbooks.

The deployment will be undertaken in agreement with Top IT Industries Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Terengganu State Government, and in cooperation with Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka (DBP), to assist in the process of transforming school textbooks into digital PDF format for use on Intel-powered Classmate PCs. The timeframe for deployment is expected to be completed by April 2009.

Students showing the Intel-powered Classmate PCs that has been pre-loaded with digital PDF format of their school textbooks.

“Technology plays a critical role in our lives, and the future workplace will become even more dynamic where communication and collaboration are no longer bound to the desk, or meeting room, or even geography,” says Ryaz Patel, Intel Malaysia’s Country Manager. “Projek Buku Elektronik is a tremendously exciting project in that it gives these pupils an early head start to become highly IT-proficient workers in the near future.”

Through the Intel® World Ahead program, schools across the world have benefited from Intel’s assistance and education programs designed to tap the power of technology, curriculum and teachers to improve education in more than 25 countries. It also offers professional training for teachers on how to effectively use technology to improve teaching under the Intel® Teach program and develop local content such as science and math curriculum for Intel-powered Classmate PCs.

“Projek Buku Elektronik is a bold first step the State Government is taking, and it will be the catalyst that marks a new chapter in Malaysia’s education curriculum,” says Menteri Besar of Terengganu, YAB Datuk Ahmad Said. “We strongly believe ICT plays a very important role in supporting the development of human capital for our country. It starts with each child getting his or her own Intel-powered Classmate PC, but the success of all education initiatives relies on the school’s administration, and most importantly, its teachers’ readiness to embrace the changes that can revolutionize the state’s education system.

“It is therefore incumbent on teachers to rise up to the challenge to help shape a new generation of youths who will bring positive change to our State, and ultimately, our country.”
In addition to hardware deployment of Intel-powered Classmate PCs, Intel will remain committed in collaborating with the Terengganu State Government in assessing and applying new ways to improve education in the classroom through the use of other technologies and education programs.

More information on Intel® Teach program and Intel® World Ahead can be found at: http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/worldahead/index.htm.