KUANTAN, May 16 — The Ministry of Education (MOE) today announced several initiatives, mostly aimed at enhancing teacher capacity in digital technology.

Minister Fadhlina Sidek said these initiatives include providing opportunities for teachers to enhance their skills through technology empowerment courses, especially in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with an allocation of RM1 million and targeting 500 selected teachers nationwide.

She said that MOE will also collaborate with Apple Professional Learning Specialist Malaysia to train and guide 100,000 teachers to be recognised as "Apple Teachers”.

"Also, in the context of recognising teachers who excel in adapting to digital technology, 1,000 teachers will be selected to attend courses to be certified as digital professionals and recognised as MOE’s Guru Jauhari Digital.”

Fadhlina said this at the 2024 National Teachers’ Day celebration themed Guru Jauhari Digital, Aspirasi Negara Madani here today, which was graced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Meanwhile, Fadhlina said the existing Cuti-Cuti Cikgu (CCC) (Teacher’s Holiday) programme will involve strategic partners including Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, Bank Rakyat, Wetland Putrajaya, Air Asia, and Traveloka, as part of the initiatives this year.

The initiatives announced today also involve the provision of two publishing grants worth RM10,000 each awarded for writing about "Madani Teacher Figure” and "Madani Leadership Figure,” she said.

Fadhlina also announced that the Teacher Well-being Index will be developed to ensure the well-being of teachers is always maintained and that the first index will be announced at next year’s Teachers’ Day celebration.

At a press conference later, the minister explained that the Teacher Well-being Index is aimed at reviewing the overall ecosystem of educators to assess specific domains.

"We want to focus on this matter so that the well-being of teachers can be enhanced over time,” she added. — Bernama