Total of RM50,000 cash awarded to schools with S.M.A.R.T qualities
AMY EZREEN
SHAH ALAM – A total of RM50,000 cash awards were presented to selected schools with S.M.A.R.T. qualities in the Sinar Bestari School Awards (ASSSB) today to honour the effort of all school staffs for achieving diverse achievements.
Project director Meen Tahrin said the ASSSB award was presented for the first time this year to honour schools with the S.M.A.R.T. school's features which comprised of Skills, Proficiency, Attributes, Relevance, and Technology.
"Skill qualities concentrate on management to succeed in school development, skilled on teachers to succeed in successfully teaching and learning strategies,” he said.
In an interview with Selamat Pagi Malaysia today, Meen said the attributes of focus on student development covered various aspects, namely academic, soft, and co-curricular, relevant to focus on school projects or programmes related to the educational needs of the 21st century.
In terms of technology, it was the usage of technology during the pandemic.
Meen said there were five categories of winners; Primary School (rural and urban categories), Secondary School (rural and urban categories), and Special Jury Award—each given cash awards with a total of RM50,000.
Also the Executive Editor of Sinar Bestari Lifestyle, Meen said that ASSSB distinguished itself from other awards by including the whole school community rather than just one party.
"This award assesses from various perspectives, including school management and development, teaching abilities, student development, and the use of technology appropriate to the current situation.
“Academic excellence is not the only factor considered, this prize also takes into account things like good values, deserving of acclaim, inspirational, exemplary, and so forth,” he said.
Meen added every aspect was eligible for nomination as a school's quality was the product of many people's efforts, including those of administrators, instructors, students, and parents.
Meanwhile, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) Faculty of Arts, Computers & Creative Industry Senior Lecturer Associate Professor Ts Dr Shamsul Arrieya Arifin, the ASSSB was considered to promote innovation and creativity in general for the school community.
"In keeping with the modern educational scene, which is changing and starting to adapt to digital learning in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic over the past two years, it not only boosts motivation but also fosters a desire to try something new.
"There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the paradigm of learning from face-to-face to online, not just in Malaysia but also throughout the world.
“This has led to a significant increase in online learning and innovation,” he said.
Additionally, to see more digital content produced in terms of audio, video, multimedia, and innovation, he added that teachers must always consider effective innovation strategies and methodologies in teaching and learning (PdP).
In this context, Dr Shamsul, said programmes like the ASSSB would be able to spur creativity and motivate the development of new management techniques in schools.
"Such competitions will also raise a school's performance since they conduct a comprehensive evaluation that takes into account both technology and human development.
"This thorough review will be able to foster positive attitudes among teachers, students, and management as well as pique the attention of the corporate sector to form partnerships with educational institutions that have the potential to excel in innovation.
For schools interested in competing, he advised the school to continue to innovate with creative and critical thinking via the use of technology in education for the sustainability of education and technology for the well-being of the learning institute.
