JOHOR BAHRU, 16 November 2016 – About 300 people attended a Johor state level National Colloquium on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (KKPSTEM) for educators that was held at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) on Saturday.
Chairman of the Association, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zaiton Abdul Majid said the colloquium was held to discuss the information, experience and research on current issues, challenges and strategies to elevate STEM education in Malaysia.
According to Prof. Zaiton, STEM aims to develop a culture of science and technology in society by empowering the individual potential of the knowledge and scientific skills.
“Therefore educational efforts should be initiated from the early generations of students, but current statistics showed the number of students specializing in science was recorded to decrease every year.
“If this trend continues, the country will certainly have difficulty in providing talented scientists or cultivating a science-oriented culture towards its society,” she said.
Prof. Zaiton said that the initiatives to promote and strengthen STEM education identified have been formulated as colloquium resolution and submitted to the government by the National STEM movement.
“The colloquium provides a platform for examining the structure of professional development, knowledge, skills and abilities particularly STEM educators at the school level, designing methods to increase the interest and popularity of STEM and highlight the collaborative networks that must be implemented by all stakeholders.
“The recommendations put forward by participants consisting of teachers, representatives of the Parents and Teachers Association (PIBG), university faculty, staff, education officials, industrial representatives and government bodies,” she said.
The colloquium was officially launched by the Deputy Director General of Higher Education (Public) Datin Paduka Ir. Dr. Hamisah Tapsir followed by keynote session from the National Science Council and the National STEM Movement Prof. Datuk Dr. Halimaton Hamdan.
“The result of this colloquium will be coordinated at the national level and are expected to contribute to the direction and the formation of government policy in promoting STEM fields that are the core of the future for the nation’s prosperity and welfare of the community,” said Prof. Zaiton.
In the forum held, participants could hear the recommendations and interact with the panel comprising Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wan Muhamad Saridan Wan Hassan representing UTM Faculty of Science, Deputy Director of Education Department of Johor, Azman Adnan, Senior Vice President, Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), Dr. Raslan Ahmad, Director of the Centre for Engineering Education UTM, Prof. Dr. Khairiyah Mohd Yusof and Chief Marketing Officer Medini Iskandar Malaysia, Dr. Gerard Kho.
The forum was moderated by the Director of Strategy Management UTM, Prof. Dr. Shahrin Mohammad before the presentation of the resolution by the Dean of the Faculty of Science Prof. Dr. Norsarahaida S. Amin, who is the patron of the programme.