Expose drone activities to children as early as in primary school

Borneo Post

25-05-2025

File photo for illustration purposes
JOHOR BAHRU (May 25): Primary school students as young as nine years old should be introduced to drone technology to spark their interest and nurture their skills for future development at a higher level.
Head of the Automation and Drone Unit of the Shah Alam Teacher Training and Advanced Skills Centre (CIAST), Zuraidy Shamsudin, said early exposure is essential to spark interest among young children, especially as they witness the growing use of drones in today's world.
He noted that the MADANI Rakyat Junior Drone Competition, organised as part of the Johor MADANI Rakyat (PMR) Programme at Toppen Shopping Centre, had drawn the participation of more than 100 students and members of the public.
'Initiatives like this should provide early exposure, especially for primary school students. By the time they reach Form Two, many of them are introduced to coding classes, and drones are closely linked to coding, particularly for autonomous functions
'That's where they can further nurture their interest in drones, applying the coding skills they have learned, and from there, it's up to them to continue advancing to higher levels in the future,' he told Bernama today.
The drone operating competition, which is categorised as an air sport, was organised by the Skills Development Department (JPK) under the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) with the collaboration of the National Technical and Vocational Training Education Council (MTVET).
Zuraidy, who is the chief coordinator of the programme, said that learning about drones offers promising career opportunities in the future, as the technology and related skills are now widely applied in various fields, including agriculture, photography, and filmmaking.
Regarding the competition, he said his team is responsible for bringing the event to various PMR programmes, which usually receive an encouraging response, with the majority of participants being school students who, on average, already know how to operate drones.
'Our local talent can be highlighted at the international level, and Malaysia already has a team participating in the World Skills Championship (WSC),' he added.
A total of three categories were contested — primary school students, secondary school students, and an open category for the public, with only 27 participants qualifying for today's final competition in their respective categories.
According to him, most participants brought their personal mini-drones, while CIAST prepared several units for those who needed them in the competition.
'For this final, only 15 primary school participants, seven secondary school participants and five individuals for the open category are selected to compete for the cash prizes and certificates,' he said.
Meanwhile, a participant in the primary school category, Muhammad Aisy Fareeq Abdus Shakur, 12, of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Kencana, Simpang Renggam, shared that his deep interest in gadget technology has driven him to frequently participate in mini drone competitions.
'I have participated in competitions like this many times. The most important thing in operating a drone is managing the takeoff and navigating through obstacles because the controls are sensitive and require a lot of patience,' he said.
For 16-year-old Avery Li Theepakaran, a student at Sekolah Menengah Taman Desa Jaya here, this was his first time participating in a drone competition.
He said the experience has deepened his interest in operating drones, something he had previously only seen on social media.
The Johor PMR 2025, themed MADANI Youth, Yakin Boleh! concluded this evening with a variety of engaging activities such as exhibition booths, interactive sessions with government agencies, TVET exhibitions, career carnivals and MADANI sales. drone education lead primary school Zuraidy Shamsudin