Students of SJKT PJS 1 in Petaling Jaya try their hands at robotics starter kits in a workshop on Feb 26.
PETALING JAYA: The 10-year-olds crowded around as polytechnic student A. Vinod Retnam started to open the box, revealing wires, small coloured bulbs and a circuit board.
“What does it do? Can we put it together? Do we need a manual? Would it produce electricity?” the children asked eagerly.
It was an Arduino starter kit – containing the basics of robotics.
The children, some of them standing on chairs, were full of suggestions as the teenager explained and demonstrated how the kit was to be set up.
The children, from SJK(T) Taman PJS 1 here, were being introduced to robotics under a programme hosted by the IATSS Forum Japan Alumni Association Malaysia.
With starter kits containing wires, chips and connectors, the children were required to connect the device to activate the lights and buzzers.
A total of 120 pupils were given hands-on experience in robotics in a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) knowledge-sharing workshop.
Eight-year-old S. Varunikasaai, who wants to become a teacher, was very pleased.
“I am happy to see the lights flashing and learning to connect the wires,” she said.
Her friend, who was too shy to give his name, said he wanted to build a flying car.
Tharun Melon, 11, who aspires to be a police officer, said: “I think I found a way to build a police car alarm because it has flashing lights. I want to know how to do more.”
Santosh Ravichanthiran, 10, hopes the school would arrange more such classes for them. “This is very enjoyable,” he said.
Project leader Kauselya Muniandy said the project was to instil awareness on the importance of STEM among the pupils.
“Such a project will encourage students to pursue these fields,” she said.
School principal R. Rajaletchumi said the three-year-old school carried out a similar class last year, and the response was good.
“Last year, one of our students, Yugaen Thirusambandam, won a national robotics competition,” he said.
The pupils were guided by Port Dickson Polytechnic student volunteers.
There were also demonstrations of a drone and a computer numerical control machine, which are commonly used in manufacturing to machine metal and plastic parts.
Senior lecturer Muhammad Abdul Jalil, 44, said Malaysia’s education system lags behind Thailand and Vietnam in encouraging interest in STEM.
“In Thailand, secondary students are learning about service robots but ours are just beginning to explore the building of simple robots. Many are not interested in STEM subjects – robotics is one way of gaining their interest,” he added.
Fellow senior lecturer Deenesh Kumar Nalathambi said primary school was the best place to foster interest in STEM.
“There are many robotics competitions both locally and internationally. With proper guidance, children as young as 10 can tackle concepts at a tertiary level.
“Robotics can be applied to a variety of industries, including medicine, automobiles and agriculture. Our objective is to spark their interest. From there, we can take it further,” he added.
