By Sharen Kaur
KUALA LUMPUR: YTL Group is providing free data and online resources to all students in government schools, so they are not deprived of education during the movement control order (MCO) to curb the spread of Covid-19.
YTL is giving free access to FrogAsia’s online learning resources and free data.
This is via the YES 4G mobile network provided by YTL Communications Sdn Bhd through the "Learn From Home Initiative", launched here today.
YTL Group executive chairman Tan Sri Francis Yeoh said the latest initiative, a collaboration between YTL Foundation, YES and FrogAsia, is to help students to continue their learning without the burden of additional costs to their families.
From today, all students can access www.ytlfoundation.org/learn or FrogPlay Mobile – a gamified mobile App with revision quizzes for every core subject taught in national schools from Standard One to Form Five curated by trusted education publisher Pelangi.
To provide online access, parents of children in local government schools can obtain up to five free 4G prepaid SIM cards from YES, one for each school-going child in the family.
Each SIM comes with a 40GB data plan that will be valid for 60 days upon activation and will be couriered to homes free of charge, he said in a statement.
“At this time when the country is facing the unprecedented crisis of keeping our citizens safe from the Covid-19 pandemic, we want to make sure that children are able to continue their education at home. Our hope is that all children in this country will stay safe and stay learning.
“And as we care for our children at home, let us not forget the front line heroes in essential services who are risking their lives out there, so that the rest of us can stay safely at home. We salute them with all our hearts. May God bless and protect all the rakyat of our beloved nation," said Yeoh.
He said with educational institutions across the country closed for the coming weeks, educators, parents and students alike are looking for solutions to enable teaching and learning to continue at home.
Yeoh, who is also chairman of YTL Foundation, said a survey was carried out among parents with school-going children to find out how they are coping during this trying time.
He said the findings of the survey show that for 95 per cent of parents, a key concern is how their children’s education remains uninterrupted while they are at home.
The survey also showed that 90 per cent of them have at least one mobile device available at home and are open to their children learning online but around 50 per cent expressed the need for data to enable effective access to online learning resources.
"For those in the B40 group, having to purchase data would be a huge burden, especially now when household incomes are at risk.
“The YTL Group has championed the use of technology in education since 2011. The group truly believes that online learning can provide a rich and engaging experience for students, and with the tools available today, parents and teachers can continue educating children at home during this period," said Yeoh.
