Over 300 students visit STEM Catalysts Raspberry Pi 2025 tour in Betong
KUCHING (June 18): More than 300 students, mainly from Primary 5, Primary 6, and Form 1, have visited the STEM Catalysts Raspberry Pi 2025 tour in Betong, said Sarawak Skills.
In a press release today, Sarawak Skills said Betong was the seventh out of 18 stops for the statewide tour.
STEM Catalysts is a touring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) carnival organised by the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development to spur pupils' interests in STEM, particularly those from rural primary schools.
The 2025 edition features the use of coding and Raspberry Pi to make use of STEM knowledge, including the use of Raspberry Pi to control hydraulic systems to lift very heavy objects guided by Pascal's Law.
Youth, Sport and Entrepreneur Development Deputy Minister Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu, who is Layar assemblyman, officially opened the event at the Betong District Education Office yesterday.
He said STEM awareness and interests must be inculcated in students as early as possible to get them ready for the technology driven and competitive world.
'Therefore, I hope events such as STEM Catalysts can be carried out more frequently and with participation from parents and the public. We need everyone's participation to nurture our young ones,' he said.
Students observe one of the STEM exhibits.
STEM Catalysts is one of the many initiatives coordinated by the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development to achieve the target of increasing STEM enrolment in Sarawak from 30 per cent to 60 per cent, to produce enough talents for the state.
The event involved staff and students from Sarawak Skills and University of Technology Sarawak, as well as STEM communicators from the Sarawak Science Centre.
Persatuan Kebajikan Rolf Schnyder, a philanthropic organisation which provides education support to children, also organised a mini coding competition.
The tour will move on to Lubok Antu and Simunjan, followed by Kanowit, Song, and Kapit next week.
It is expected to cover 100 schools by the end of the month. Betong Gerald Rentap Jabu lead STEM Catalysts Raspberry Pi 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sinar Daily
a day ago
- Sinar Daily
AI tool could speed up skin cancer diagnoses in remote parts of world
LONDON - A researcher at a Scottish university has developed AI tools that could give people in remote areas worldwide access to fast and potentially life-saving skin cancer diagnoses, reported PA Media/dpa. Tess Watt, the PhD student at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh who led the project to develop the technology, said it is intended to enable early detection of skin conditions anywhere in the world, and without the need for direct access to dermatologists. The technology also works without internet access. The system involves a patient taking a photograph of their skin complaint using a small camera attached to a Raspberry Pi device - a cheap, energy-efficient handheld computer that is capable of storing vast amounts of information. The photograph is analysed in real-time using the latest state-of-the-art image classification, comparing it to an enormous dataset of thousands of images stored on the device to reach a diagnosis. The findings are then shared with a local General Practitioner (GP) service to begin a suitable treatment plan. The project is understood to be the first of its kind to combine AI medical diagnosis to serve remote communities. Watt explained: "Healthcare from home is a really important topic at the moment, especially as GP wait times continue to grow. "If we can empower people to monitor skin conditions from their own homes using AI, we can dramatically reduce delays in diagnosis.' A prototype of the device has already been demonstrated at Heriot-Watt's advanced health and care technologies suite. The research team said the tool is up to 85 per cent accurate in its diagnostic capabilities, but they hope to increase this further by gaining access to more skin lesion datasets, aided by advanced machine learning tools. Watt is also in talks with National Health Service Scotland to begin the ethical approval process for testing the technology in real-world clinical settings. "Hopefully in the next year or two, we'll have a pilot project underway,' she said, noting medical technology often takes years to move from prototype to implementation. She added: "By the time I finish my PhD, three years from now, I'd love to see something well into the pipeline that's on its way to real-world use.' The university said the long-term vision is to roll the system out first across remote regions of Scotland, before expanding to global areas with limited access to dermatological care. It added that the technology could also offer vital support to patients who are infirm or unable to travel, allowing loved ones to assist with capturing and submitting diagnostic images to GPs. Watt's academic supervisor, Dr Christos Chrysoulas, said: "E-health devices must be engineered to operate independently of external connectivity to ensure continuity of patient service and safety. "In the event of a network or cloud service failure, such devices must fail safely and maintain all essential clinical operations without functional degradation. "While auxiliary or non-critical features may become temporarily unavailable, the core diagnostic and even therapeutic capabilities must remain fully operational, in compliance, of course, with safety and regulatory requirements. "Ensuring this level of resilience in affordable, low-cost medical devices is the essence of our research, particularly for deployment in resource-limited settings and areas with limited or no connectivity, where uninterrupted patient care must still be guaranteed.' UK Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle commented on the research, saying: "Low-cost technology which could help detect skin cancer early and at home, without even the need for internet access, is an incredible example of AI's potential to break down barriers in healthcare and save lives. "Promising, first-of-its-kind research like this also demonstrates the crucial role UK innovators can play in improving the lives of people of all backgrounds, wherever they live, and makes clear the value of government investing in research to deliver our change plan.' - BERNAMA-dpa
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Rural schools included in Malaysia's digital education transformation
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has assured that rural schools are not being left behind in the implementation of the national education digitalisation policy, said Deputy Minister Wong Kah Woh. He said claims that rural schools were being marginalised were inaccurate, noting that out of 110 educational institutions involved in the hybrid class pilot project, 41 were rural schools - demonstrating the MOE's commitment to a fair and inclusive approach. 'This clearly shows that in every initiative or project, MOE ensures no school is left behind or marginalised in the digital transformation of education. 'This year, the ministry will also implement a pilot project for the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered classroom programme involving 11 schools, including one in Sarawak - Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Lanang,' he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today. Wong was replying to a supplementary question from Ahmad Johnie Zawawi (GPS-Igan), who asked for assurance that rural schools would not be left behind in the implementation of the education digitalisation programme. In a related development, Wong also said that as of June 2025, a total of 405,158 education service officers (PPP) have undergone digital competency training as part of efforts to equip teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills in the digital field. He said that of the total, 23.81 per cent were at the basic level, 74.37 per cent at the intermediate level, while 1.81 per cent had reached the advanced level. He also informed the Dewan Rakyat that the ministry is currently in the fourth phase of enhancing information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, involving 1,801 schools that are still lacking in ICT equipment. 'To address this, a total of 31,724 devices will be distributed under an allocation of RM230 million. The implementation, scheduled from 2025 to 2030, is currently in the procurement assessment phase,' he said. - Bernama
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
Teachers remain key for verifying AI-generated info in classrooms says Fadhlina
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Education (MOE) is rolling out multiple artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives to enhance teaching and learning in schools, according to Minister Fadhlina Sidek. However, she stressed that AI-generated information still requires verification by skilled educators, with teachers remaining the most trusted source in classrooms. 'Various UNESCO reports consistently emphasise that technology should only serve as a tool to support education,' she said during her speech at the national-level Digital Utilisation and Technology Awards (DUTA) 2024 ceremony. Fadhlina explained that digital transformation in Malaysia's education system must prioritise human capital development and teacher professionalism. She noted that technological advancements are only meaningful when supported by knowledgeable and creative educators. During the event, two teachers were honoured as Digital Teacher Icons for their contributions to digital education. Mohammad Aliff Halmi from SK Tampang, Penang, was named Guru Penyelaras Teknologi, Komunikasi dan Maklumat (ICT) Icon, while El Gamillo Habibun Tan from SK Bukit Gasing, Terengganu, received the Guru Peneraju Generasi Digital Icon award. Both winners received RM800 and a trophy. In the District Education Office (PPD) category, PPD Dungun took first place, followed by PPD Batu Pahat and PPD Alor Gajah. Winners received trophies and tablets sponsored by the National Book Council of Malaysia. The DUTA 2024 ceremony, introduced in 2020, recognises excellence in digital education among students, teachers, and education leaders, reinforcing MOE's commitment to ethical and innovative tech use in schools. - Bernama
