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`AMERICAN CORNER IN A BOX` PROJECT HELPS TO NARROW DIGITAL DIVIDE IN SARAWAK.

Posted on 17 November 2016

KUCHING,Nov 17 (Bernama) -- More primary school and secondary school students in Sarawaks rural areas wil be connected to modern digital resources with the introduction of the `American Corner In A Box` project.

This pilot project introduced by Pustaka Negeri Sarawak (PNS) is to connect students and teachers in rural school with poor Internet bandwidth, to modern digital resources.

The Charge d`Affaires of the U.S Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Edgard D. Kagan today presented new digital resources to Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Telaga Air, about 40 km from here, the second school to be part of the project in Sarawak. The first is Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Katibas, Song in Sibu DIvision.

Pustaka Negeri Sarawaks Library Services Sector head, Japri Bujang Masli said the project supplied school with a Raspberry Pi (a credit card-sized computer that can connect to a monitor and keyboard) preloaded with a wide catalogue of information.

He said the resources available on the network included English language learning programmes, mathematic lesson and Project Gutenberg resources.

`All of the resources can be accessed on the local network to help teachers supplement their lesson and schoolchildren develop their skill,` he said.

The basic cost of installing the whole system is only RM200. Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is collaborating with the US embassy to provide the equipment to more school in Sarawak, especially those in the rural areas without Internet connection.

`This technology can help more people access information, hence narrowing the digital divide,` Japri said.

He said Pustaka Negeri Sarawak was currently working on some academic details as it wanted to install as many informative material into the device, which student could access through their notebook and use in their daily studies.

`We have tested it with the teachers and student and it came out as very useful for them,` said Japri.

Meanwhile, Kagan when met at SK Telaga Air today, told Bernama that the embassy would supply more of the device to scools in Malaysia if the project was proven successful.

`This is the second in Sarawak and we are working with Pustaka Negeri Sarawak on the project. I wouldnt know how many of the device is and on feedback from schools.

`It (the device) is still at the best phase now, our goal is to get more result because we want to see it is tremendously useful fr schools and the students.

`The ultimate goal is to gain knowledge, and peple benefit from this,` he said.