‘Smart education’ helps put Malaysia in a class of its own

The Malaysian government has used technology and the internet to overcome the challenges of its islands-based geography to improve its education system, according to Francis Yeoh Sock Ping, group managing director of YTL Corporation.

He was speaking at a session on “smart education” at yesterday’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Malaysia is made up of 14 states, which are spread over two main islands and a number of smaller islands in the Sea of China. According to Mr Yeoh, the dispersed nature of its country created a “digital divide” between students in its city schools and those in rural areas.