AI-powered classroom project in Sarawak school aims to narrow digital divide in rural areas

Representatives from the Digital Ministry and its agencies visit SK St James Quop in Kuching to review the implementation of the AI-powered classroom proof-of-concept pilot project there.

KUCHING: The Secretary General of the Digital Ministry, Datuk Fabian Bigar, and several representatives from the ministry visited SK St James Quop in Padawan earlier today to review the implementation of the AI-powered classroom proof-of-concept pilot project at the school.

The initiative is led by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation in collaboration with the Education Ministry. In a statement today, the Digital Ministry said the project serves as a strategic step to evaluate the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) technology integration.

“At the same time, it aims to empower teaching and learning sessions, thereby narrowing the digital divide in rural areas,” the statement read.

“For the first phase, which has been underway since August 2025, this PoC pilot project is specifically designed to cultivate AI technology within the education ecosystem. Besides aiming to boost individual student learning potential, this initiative also focuses on empowering digital competency among teaching staff and administrators.”

The ministry said this effort is in line with the government’s aspirations to increase the efficiency of public service delivery and drive excellence in schools under its care.

It added that the successful implementation of the project at SK St James Quop is driven by robust strategic synergy between the academic sector and technology industry giants.

“A combination of strategic partners comprising MyDigital Corporation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Microsoft Malaysia, Intel Malaysia, Dell Technologies, Vector InfoTech, Pandai Education, Chumbaka Sdn Bhd, and APR Electronic Services, has played a vital role in contributing technical expertise, providing advanced devices, AI-based educational applications, and training funds to ensure a holistic digital education ecosystem can be realised at this school.”

During the visit, the delegation had the opportunity to witness practical demonstrations of the use of technology solutions by students and teachers.

The visit also saw the handover of equipment such as AI-based laptops, digital devices, and smart boards from strategic partners, as a symbol of the strategic synergy towards digital transformation at the school.