KOTA KINABALU – In an effort to address Sabah’s internet woes, the state government will be upgrading more than 2,000 telecommunication towers and building 400 new ones under the National Digital Network (Jendela).  

In his speech at the Sabah Teachers’ Day 2021 celebration, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor said that the government understood the challenges faced by teachers when conducting online classes.

“Teaching and learning is no longer done face-to-face and this has made it more challenging for teachers to carry out their duties.

“Digital learning platforms have become the dominant teaching methods. Usage of applications such as Google Classroom and Zoom apart from WhatsApp as well as Telegram to conduct online teaching is the new teaching method, especially for home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) during this pandemic era,” he said.

Hajiji said since the state’s topography posed a challenge in ensuring better internet access, creativity on the part of teachers is appreciated in ensuring lessons reach all students, particularly those without internet access.

“I realise there are teachers who have to walk miles just to deliver learning materials to their students while schools are also implementing various ways to ensure students are not left behind. For this, I thank you.

“I call upon the people of Sabah to continue to be respectful of our teachers because in this cyber era we often hear of many baseless attacks on the teaching profession. While in fact, it is difficult for us to repay the deeds and contributions of teachers,” he said.

Hajiji assured that the state government will continue to closely monitor the development of education in Sabah through related agencies and support all initiatives that have been planned to boost the state’s academic achievements.

Conducted virtually, the Sabah Teachers’ Day 2021 celebration also honoured teachers for their excellence. This year’s Education Leadership Award went to former state education director Datuk Hajah Maimunah Suhaibul while the Tokoh Guru award went to Shirley Tay Siew Hong.