SIBU: Teachers have been asked to accept changes and improve their competencies to create outstanding individuals capable of competing with the rest of the world.
The call came from the Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn yesterday (Nov 21).
He was representing Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg at the Second International Conference On Education Transformation (2nd i-CET) 2022 here.
Sagah stressed that teachers needed to improve their skills to help the future generations become cyber power and thinking power.
“Any reforms in teaching implemented by teachers in schools will produce a generation of individuals who are competitive at the state, national, and global levels,” he added.
Sagah pointed out that Sarawak was very lucky as it was rich in natural resources and had the potential to to move towards new technologies, including producing hydrogen and green energy.
“However, at the moment we cannot add value to human resources because this depends on the quality of Sarawak’s young people and our future generations. Allow us, you, the teachers, and the state government to join forces to train and produce chemists for this purpose.
“Education is the key to enabling Sarawak to achieve a prosperous future when our state is developing a new economy,” he stressed.
He urged teachers as well as all education stakeholders in the state to jointly develop quality human capital to drive Sarawak towards achieving the status of a developed state by 2030.
He was optimistic that through the presentations and forums at the conference, many new ideas would be discussed and shared among the participants to move the state forward.
He also stressed the importance of equipping students with specific skills including a good command of English.
“We must admit that English is an international language. If you want to do research and gain access to the latest knowledge, there is no other option than to master English well.
“This is to enable students to understand the latest methodologies and advancements in various fields of education.
“For Sarawak to achieve its aspirations to become a developed state, one of the government’s efforts is to provide students with good command of the English language for higher acceptance in the international community,” he said.
Sagah also hoped that this conference would enable educational institutions, leaders and educational practitioners to develop and educate themselves professionally to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
Also present were Sarawak Education deputy director Dr Les Mat and the Rajang Teachers Institute director Dr Abang Ismail Abang Julhi.
