The document discusses the concept of smart schools in Malaysia. It outlines the goals of smart schools, which include producing a technology-literate workforce and increasing access to education. Some challenges to implementing smart schools are lack of technical staff, facilities and technology infrastructure especially in rural areas. Teachers may also lack ICT skills. Solutions proposed include providing more training to teachers, improving connectivity in rural schools, and collaborating with private companies and donors to support smart school initiatives financially and technically.

1. TITLE : SMART SCHOOL
Introduction
As we can see nowadays in global world, the technology is widely used in tandem with the
country's progress towards Vision 2020. Therefore, the existing education system has been
upgraded to learning using technology. Smart school system is one of new versions in
education which each of the selected schools were given access to the Internet and IT
equipment to reveal the interest of students to learn a subject by using the latest technology.
Additionally, through this learning method can indirectly expose students to the use of IT in
life and help students who are blind can learn basic IT skills using existing technology such
as computers, LCD, projector and so on.
“Smart school and smart class” is an innovative concept in education where our
education system is also going to be online. In this environment e learning, blended learning
and online education is the need of this time especially to smart student. Use of internet in
schools and education is not only a dream nowadays, but it is the necessity of the time.
Malaysia Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), stated that “Smart school” is a learning
institution that has been systematically reinvented in term of teaching learning practices and
school management in order to prepare children for the information age. The school use
technology platform as a medium of education that helps students in learning by using
multimedia such as video, images, music and so on
In a smart school there may be innovative working system for teachers and in school
management. An attractive classroom environment is needed for such type smart and
innovative activities. Smart school class will be more attractive, innovative, student friendly,
healthy and more interesting class. In a smart class it may possible there to arrange "online
classes" by internet. Smart class is a platform for e smart class and online IT class.
Based on the Malaysia’s National Philosophy of Education, the objective of Smart
school are to produce a thinking and technology-literate workforce. In addition, it also to
made democratize education among the students and increase participation of stakeholders.
Futhermore, smart school also provide all- round development of the individual and in the
same time to also provide opportunities to each students to enhance individual strengths and
abilities. In order to achieve this smart school objective, the government should provide a
large budget expenditures to provide a computer lab in every school. This situation is in line
with Vision 2020 to create a world class education system.

2. Important of Smart School
Malaysian smart school is a school that is very important in today's global stage
where a lot of interest that can be earned. By this system, it can prepare students for the
Information Age. Smart School is growing with the formation of a professional staff,
increased resources and efficient administration. This allows the school to adapt to changing
circumstances. The Smart School will be oriented towards self-learning by the individual,
continuity and reflective. This will happen with the supply of a variety of media and network
technologies covers the whole world.
Learning changed from teacher-centered to student-centered. Smart School
curriculum in a more flexible and open. Curriculum in Smart School is designed so
meaningful, socially responsible, reflective, holistic, global and open on goal. Promote
learning in a holistic manner, allowing the child - developed according to the level of
achievement - each and take into account the capabilities, interests and needs of students of
different - different. Children - children are educated with critical thinking skills and creative,
imbued with moral values and encouraged to improve fluency. Smart School curriculum is
designed to build students achieve balanced development.
Malaysian Smart School will take the innovative concept of virtual skip class. The
system now gives tension to poor students and gifted students prevented progress. In the
Smart School, the technology will provide the flexibility to eradicate tension in education.
Smarter students will be able to complete all coursework and assessment earlier than
normal. Students who are less capable of going through the basic program according to the
study, and were given special assistance by the teacher. This can happen because of the
establishment of production system centered on the evaluation item online.
The challenges and issues concerning the implementation of the ICT in Smart School
The challenges that can be detected in this issues concerning the implementation ICT of the
Smart School is lack of technical stuff, lack of facilities, lack of technology, teacher problem,
courseware problems , student and parents.
First of all, is lack of technical stuff. Lacking of technical staff to supervise network
also can be the challenges to implement to smart school concept. The demand of technician
is high nowadays and most of the technician prefer to working under the non-government

3. because of the salary is higher than government. So that, Ministry of Education must do on
going training and retraining teachers is needed. Smart Schools will not prevail with only the
infrastructures and students attending them. Teachers, as the all-important agents, will be
the ones who will actually translate the transformation theory to transformation reality. For
that purpose, it is clearly very important that efforts must be made to develop the knowledge,
skills and positive attitude of the teachers in order to ensure the success of the Schools
Transformation as a joint effort.
The Teachers Education Section, Ministry of Education has been assigned the
responsibility to implement Bestari Training in the effort to supply education’s work force
which will help achieve the objectives of Smart Schools. To achieve the success of Smart
School implementation, professional training not only for teachers, but also for the staff as
well should be held. Moreover, it is not a one-off event, but a sustained effort where the
teachers get the support of students, colleagues, the ICT administrators and the government
(MoE).
Besides that, lack of facilities. Lack of facilities usually occurs to the rural area where
the their school it is far from the city area. This happened when the facilities cannot be
supply and can be back forward in ICT development. So, the extension of the smart school
concept is teaching-learning processes should be run. The teaching processes related to
curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and teaching-learning materials. It can help students
learn effectively and efficiently. It also enable students to self-accessed and self-directed
learning. It also cognitively attractive, motivates students to learns and encourage active
participation. Moreover, combinations of network-based, teacher based and courseware
materials will become more attractive. The facilities that provided from ministry is projector,
set of personal computer, LCD, computer laboratory, and others.
Other than that, the maintenance of all these facilities is in high costing. Their
component in the casing is import from others country. For example, mother board in
personal computer was import from Taiwan. This happened because in our country do not
have the suitable infrastructure to build it. So, costing to repaired the broken device is very
high. Furthermore, the electronic fees will increase because of the using of ICT facilities. The
electricity will not turn off for twelve hour or during the learning session.
Forth of challenges and issues of implementation of the ICT in Smart School is lack
of technology. Not all of school in Malaysia is in the city. For example the rural areas in
Sabah and Sarawak. Some of their student need to stay at school for a week because for
reach to their school will take almost six hour. So that, their student will had the limited
internet coverage or not everywhere the students can access internet. The Ministry of

4. Education should not dismiss them out of the city. They also entitle to get the better
education and the changes of technology development. It will be the fair to them. So,
students in rural areas will get more information same like the students in city. Them will not
to feel back forward.
In addition, the challenges that had to face it is the teachers problem. Most of
teachers that submissive in the government the senior’s teacher. There, will have some of
teachers lack of experience and knowledge in ICT. For example, senior’s teacher will more
comfortable or more prefer to teach in the traditional teaching. For them, it is more easier
and no need to think about the using of technology. Just get the chalk and the board n start
teaching. So, for concomitant to this new era, more teachers need to be trained so that all
teachers can contribute towards achieving the nation’s educational direction and goals
together. The Ministry of Education subsequently set aside RM288 million for the training of
teachers specifically for the achievement of the “In cultured schools with Smart Technology”
agenda. In line with this development, the responsibility to train teachers has been assigned
to the Teachers Education in order to ensure that the teachers who undergo this training will
become catalysts for the coordination of efforts and success of the national education.
Smart school is about courseware problems. The term “smart school, “ will also
create the unnecessary and misplaced sense of superiority or inferiority as the case may be
between schools which are fortunate to be wired with the last IT applications and those
which are not fortunate as well as between school with different student-computer ratios.
Usually the computer at the school were hardly used and computer that has provided to old.
Some of the newer courseware provided to the school cannot be used on the older
computer, most of which are over six years old. Besides that, sometimes in the class not
enough computer and not enough courseware. The sides problems is the students not
enough time to use courseware. This is because the students is not expose very well about
the courseware. Moreover, there are lack of guidance to use courseware.
Besides that, smart school courseware was found to be under-utilized by teachers.
This is because some teachers are not keeping on using the courseware. They lack ICT
knowledge and not comfortable with the use of hardware and courseware. They prefer more
traditional way than using technologies. They think that using courseware is a waste of time
so they rather pay more attention on parts that are related to exams.
The most crucial aspect of training would be teacher training. Teachers will now play
the role of a guide on the side, thus doing away with their traditional role of the sage on the
stage. There needs to be a careful mix of intensive training and counseling to help teachers
adapt to the new environment. This will be critical in order to dispel the natural insecurity and

5. fears of the redundancy that will arise from this radical paradigm shift in teaching
methodology and hence the very role of teachers. This training will have the devote
considerable attention to changing the mindset of teachers to understand that smart schools
must provide the best environment for self-paced, self-directed, and self-accessed learning.
This would involve thoroughly revamping training programmers, significant additional
infrastructure and the mobilization of expertise, both local and foreign.
The student and parents also the challenges of the implementation ICT in Smart
School. Nowadays, we can see that students is not to more active in class. They more like to
be passive at the back. Where more quietly behind and expecting teachers to provide input
to the study. This situation occurs when students are too pampered and not very
independent. In addition, communication is also less effective in the classroom. More
focused on themselves. This also gives the impression that is not good for the present.
supposedly, students today are more active in learning and more hardworking in their
studies.
Parents also did not too much contribute their effort to teach or expose their children
to technology. This happened because parents is too busy with their work so that they can
upgrade their life and provide the better environment to their children.
Advantages and disadvantages ICT in Smart School
As can we see today’s the use of ICT in education has been widely used, especially in the
smart school. There are many advantages and disadvantages of using ICT in a smart
school. Among the advantages of it for students is that they can learn a subject with a more
effective and easier to understand. This is because through the use of ICT for students to
learn about a given topic with the help of the teaching medium such as video, images, music
and others. This method can resulting improved interactive learning to the students.
The computer allows students to have access to more comprehensive sources of
information. They learn basic skills related to information retrieval. In class, the teacher and
the manual are not the only sources of information. Several choices are available to them.
Moreover, uses of ICT in the classroom can allow us, as a future teacher, to instruct
students and to socialize more with respect to websites.
Besides that, information and communication in technology also allow each students
equipped with the latest technology indeed, IT in classroom can help students to develop
skills to work in collaboration and data processing. In most cases, teachers encourage

6. teamwork as it allows students to better understand each other. Thus, they talk together and
establish common ground.
Finally, several studies show us that, ICTs promote increased student achievement because
this tool allows them to progress at their pace and needs. With the help of access to sources
of information, learners are also able to update their learning potential and creativity.
The use of the Internet for education is not without problems. Therefore, one should expect
the problems to be encountered in using the Internet in teaching to be evolving as well.
There are some disadvantage of using ICT in smart school where we can see the
governments need to invested a lot to money provide ICT needs in every school.
In several schools, one computer is available in their class or they have a room that is
specially designed to accommodate students and access to ICT. This room, by cons, must
be booked by teachers to have access. This constraint does not help in the evolution of
information technology and communication.
Lastly, ICT is disadvantages in the school because of it not much democratization in
education and lack of technology infrastructure and teaching material in school especially in
rural area.
Solutions for challenges faced to implement smart schools
If we want to implement the system of smart school in our countries education
structure, we need the support from all sorts of people. These groups of people that mainly
need to support this system are parents, teachers and private companies. We need to join
our hands so that our children can have a good learning atmosphere.
The lack of quality of connectivity in rural schools have big disadvantages to rural
learners. Without infrastructure and connectivity, the integrated system (encompassing web-
based courseware, on-line management tools, and technical support) provided by the Smart
Schools project is not accessible to rural schools. Thus, rural schools should also be given
the equal chance as those schools in urban area. Government should focus on placing at
least minimal level infrastructures in the rural areas. This 21st century students must be
exposed to technology otherwise they will be outdated with current world technologies. Rural
schools should be equipped with minimal level of smart school such as computers,
projectors and other output devices.

7. To address this issue, the Ministry takes an initiative to provide schools in remote
areas with special training program and provide teachers with notebook computers and CD-
ROMs containing teaching materials. Furthermore, the Ministry has launched special
schemes for the schools and communities which are located on rural islands and areas. For
Bario, the Smart School project was divided into two Phases. Phase I involved conducting a
baseline survey to gain an understanding of the information needs of the local Kelabit
people. Phase II involved the establishment of a telecentre in a secondary school. Internet
access was provided to this school via a VSAT satellite link.
Next, the parent can even help the government by sponsoring some amount of
money to equip the school with infrastructure. This move will only bring advantages to the
paying parents as their children can get a better teaching-learning circumstance. Parents
who are earning well can even contribute more.
After that, providing teachers with all the gadgets has its advantages but this system
also has disadvantages. The government must train expose the undergraduates with ICT
courses so that they can use the gadgets in rural schools to teach the students. There must
be a special course for the university students regarding ICT subject. It must be compulsory
to take the particular subject so that, if in the future these group of people are prepared to
use and teach using technologies at any time. The ministry of Higher Education must see
this as way to solve lack of teachers who can use infrastructures.
Besides that, some teachers claim that teaching with the provided infrastructure and
gadgets requires more preparation time and creates more work, requiring them to structure
the learning by providing a framework, formulating guide questions, recommending websites
and facilitating discussions. The government should revise on the job of a teacher so that
they don’t feel burdened with this smart school system. The workload of teachers must be
reduced so that they have time to sit and focus on preparing teaching materials and
resources. To make the best use of new tools and gadgets, teachers must understand the
significance, usefulness, power and usability of those ideas or tools. Teachers need to be
computer literate themselves and be confident in the use of ICT in order to understand what
ICT can do to enhance their own teaching method and to improve the learning experience of
their students.
Important recommendation was in the area of technical maintenance and the need
for more suitable and adequate technical support for teachers in schools. There must be
technician prepare at all times in case of emergency. The working technician must be well
trained with the knowledge of ICT. They can also act as a person to advise and give
important tips to the teachers on using and maintaining the tools.

8. Finally, the government can collaborate with private companies and also top
business man to support this smart school system financially. Private companies can help
the government to sponsor financially or help to assemble the infrastructure. Top business
man can help financially and in return they can have a lowered taxes rate. In other countries,
the government join forces with top private companies to support this system either
financially or setting up the tools.
Conclusion
In the nutshell, we think that the ICT concept had been introduced in our country actually can
be the most important thing that can occurred in our educational system. It is also can
replace the old educational system that we had here at the moment. Nowadays, our
students are in gen-Alpha. Them is more advance then our-self. Even though there is too
much complain that new technology will give problem and burden us. But, right now, the
implementing this Smart School concept, we believed that all of these problems will be able
to be solves and the system can be improvised from time to time. In a mean time, students
and teachers should think outside of the box meaning that they should come up with an idea
to deal with the difficulties at first to ensure that this brilliant project can work out widely in
our country. With the advanced of technologies used in this Smart School concept, believed
Malaysian will then be able to produced young generations that are not only smart in their
educations but as well to master themselves in technologies.

9. References
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