Malaysia aims for 60 percent of its children and young people to take up Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and career for a better future of the country, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said here today.
The Malaysian prime minister said the country hoped to achieve the ratio of 60:40 for children interested in STEM as compared to non-STEM education and careers.
The ratio was 25:75 in 2000 and increased to the present 42:58 following government’s commitment in supporting STEM education, he said in his speech when launching the Global STEM Alliance at the United Nations headquarters, here.
“There is a need for us to ensure a new generation of children and young people passionate about STEM education so that they want to choose STEM as a career,” he said.
He said investment in STEM was about investing in the future.
In substantiating his point on the matter, Najib said the government had several initiatives such as the Science to Action (S2A) programme, building up a nobelist mindset and cradle-to-career programmes in the move to accelerate their interest in STEM.
The S2A focuses on the intensification of science and technology build-up through education where technological know-how, engineering capabilities, industrial power and knowledge are generated and proliferated.
The government, he said, wanted Malaysians to strive to be a Nobel laureate as it could be the source of inspiration for people to take up STEM fields as a career.
“Even if Malaysia may not produce a Nobel laureate, the whole process involved in striving for the goal will lead to the emergence of a much stronger interest in STEM for a career.
“However, I hope that one day Malaysia can produce a Nobel laureate,” he said.
The prime minister commended his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, for initiating the gifted and talented kids programme known as PERMATA Pintar in a move to further promote STEM education.
Najib said children and young people could be drawn to science through a more interesting method of teaching and learning of the subject.
One way, he said, would be to get them involved in actual projects and give them some challenging projects in order to find solutions compared to the top-down approach which he felt was rather boring.
Touching on women's empowerment in Malaysia, Najib said access to quality education, having no discrimination against women and the introduction of specific policies such as allowing 30 percent of women in key decision-making bodies in the public and private sectors had enabled women to succeed.
At the same event, Unesco director-general Irina Bokova commended Malaysia for promoting its science and technology capabilities.
Bokova said Malaysia had built up such capacity-building through South-South cooperation.
The Global STEM Alliance is an initiative of the New York Academy of Sciences in partnership with over 70 governments, companies, NGOs, universities and schools aimed at, among others, to help rally global engagement and acceleration of STEM education worldwide.
Bernama
Tue Sep 23 2014
WELL-DESERVED: Najib checking out the STEM Hero award received by his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Sept 23. Looking on is Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman (right). - BERNAMApic
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Jumaat, 19 April 2024.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Lapan aksi pramusim digunakan untuk uji sistem VAR - Stuart
Liga Bolasepak Malaysia (MFL) akan menggunakan lapan aksi pramusim bermula Isnin depan hingga 4 Mei ini untuk menguji sistem Video Bantuan Pengadil (VAR) dalam Liga Malaysia (Liga-M) musim ini.
Tumpuan Sabtu - 20 April 2024
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan di Astro AWANI.
Empat wakil negara mara ke separuh akhir kelayakan Kejohanan Skuasy Dunia
Empat wakil negara berjaya melangkah ke separuh akhir Kelayakan Kejohanan Skuasy Dunia Zon Asia yang berlangsung di Pusat Skuasy Jalan Duta hari ini.
Malaysia pantau situasi terkini di Asia Barat, minta semua pihak terlibat supaya bertenang
Malaysia memantau dengan rapi perkembangan terkini di Asia Barat dan menyeru semua pihak yang terlibat supaya bertenang dan terus berusaha mencari jalan penyelesaian diplomatik.
3,850 ibu bekerja di selangor terima insentif MamaKerja RM1,000
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari berkata ibu pekerja tersebut merupakan sebahagian daripada keseluruhan 5,595 permohonan yang diterima kerajaan negeri setakat Mac lalu.
Pemandu bas rempuh 11 kenderaan direman empat hari
Perintah reman terhadap lelaki berusia 51 itu dibenarkan Majistret Suhaila Shafi'uddin bagi membantu siasatan mengikut Seksyen 42 Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987.
Mahkamah Persekutuan tetap 3 Mei putuskan rayuan berkaitan status agama Islam wanita
Mahkamah Persekutuan telah menetapkan 3 Mei depan untuk memutuskan rayuan seorang wanita berusia 37 tahun bagi mengetepikan keputusan Mahkamah Rayuan yang mengembalikan status agamanya sebagai Islam.
Jangan abai peruntukan untuk pembangunan sukan - Hannah
Kerajaan negeri dinasihatkan untuk tidak 'menganaktirikan' atau menganggap agihan peruntukan bagi tujuan pembangunan sukan tidak penting dalam belanjawan negeri.
15 universiti di Malaysia tersenarai dalam THE Asia University Ranking 2021
Universiti Malaya masih kekal berada dalam kumpulan 50 teratas pusat pengajian terbaik di dunia.
Murid prasekolah Korea Utara kini diwajib ambil subjek cerita kehebatan Kim Jong-un
Pelajar prasekolah di Korea Utara dipaksa untuk mengikuti mata pelajaran Greatness Education yang menceritakan mengenai kehebatan pemimpin negara itu, Kim Jong-un selama 90 minit pada setiap hari.
MPPK sambut baik keputusan pembukaan semula IPT
MPPK menyambut baik keputusan berhubung pembukaan semula IPT secara berperingkat seperti diumumkan Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad.
Insentif pemandu pelancong Johor cerminan keprihatinan kerajaan negeri
Pandemik COVID-19 telah melumpuhkan sektor pelancongan global dan Malaysia juga tidak terkecuali.
Taska, pusat jagaan kanak-kanak ikut SOP, ibu bapa tidak perlu bimbang
Kebenaran pembukaan semula Taman Asuhan Kanak-Kanak (Taska) dan pusat jagaan kanak-kanak tentunya memberi nafas lega kepada ibu bapa yang bekerja.