KOTA SAMARAHAN: More than 3,000 students and teachers of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Kota Samarahan are set to benefit from the seven high-impact education intervention projects under the MADANI Adopted School (SAM) initiative implemented by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).
UNIMAS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr Ahmad Hata, expressed appreciation to the MADANI government through the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Higher Education for the funding support and trust placed in UNIMAS to spearhead the initiative.
“The funding has enabled various education development projects to be carried out effectively, benefiting the school community and the wider community,” he said when officiating at the MADANI Adopted School (SAM) programme at SMK Kota Samarahan on Friday.
Among the key projects are the ‘Classroom Modernisation’ initiative involving the provision of 17 units of 65-inch Google TVs to strengthen digital learning; the ‘MINDCARE: PRS Hebat, Sokong Minda Sihat!’ programme focusing on students’ psychosocial support; and the ‘Junior Science Explorer’ initiative to nurture students’ interest in STEM.
Other projects include the ‘Education, Well-being and Future Aspirations’ programme for academic guidance and student motivation, the ‘Student Literacy and Teacher Motivation Intervention Programme’, professional upskilling through ‘Innovation in Teaching and Learning’ for technology-based classrooms as well as the contribution of academic books by UNIMAS’ Tun Abdul Rahman Ya’kub Library (PeTARY) to foster a stronger reading culture.
“What we are building here is not only academic excellence, but a balanced development that prepares students emotionally, digitally and socially for the future,” Ahmad Hata said.
The projects are implemented with the active involvement of five UNIMAS faculties: the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology; Faculty of Education, Language and Communication; Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities; Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology; and the Faculty of Cognitive Science and Human Development.
Ahmad Hata asserted that the initiative aligns with UNIMAS’ aspiration to drive sustainable community development and supports Sarawak’s Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS 2030) in producing quality, digitally literate and competitive human capital.
“UNIMAS is confident that the MADANI Adopted School initiative will serve as a prime example of impactful collaboration between the university, schools, and the government in shaping a knowledgeable generation ready to face global challenges,” he added.
He concluded by urging all stakeholders to continue working together to ensure the initiative grows and delivers long-term benefits to Sarawak’s education community.
