By Vincent D’Silva

JOHOR BAHRU: A laptop may open a window to the world, but it takes a teacher to help a child see the possibilities beyond it.

That belief underpins a Rotary-led initiative bringing 140 laptops to seven secondary schools and free digital training to educators from 32 schools across Johor — pairing the tools of technology with the human touch that gives learning meaning.

At the official handover at Santan Marie, TROVE Hotel, here on Nov 2, Rotary representatives, corporate partners and education officials gathered around a shared purpose: to help more classrooms become places where curiosity can reach beyond the printed page.

Spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Sentosa, Singapore, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Puteri Lagoon, Johor Bahru, and the Rotary Club of Batu Pahat, the initiative seeks to bridge the digital divide while equipping teachers to navigate an increasingly technology-driven education landscape.

All three clubs belong to Rotary District 3310, giving practical expression to its motto, “Service Above Self”, through cooperation across the Causeway.

The laptops were handed over to the Johor State Education Department (JPNJ) for distribution, with each beneficiary school allocated 20 devices.

The recipients are SMK Pulai Jaya, SMK Mutiara Rini, SMK Taman Johor Jaya 1, SMK Taman Nusa Damai, SMK Ulu Tiram, SMK Canossian Convent and Chinese High School, Batu Pahat.

Support from Racks Central, Lenovo Malaysia and the Rotary Club of Batu Pahat made the sponsorship possible, following efforts by the Sentosa club to initiate the project and mobilise corporate contributions.

For Rotary District 3310 Governor Dolly Yeap, the significance of the handover lay in what those devices could make possible.

“What can 140 laptops do for our students?” she asked.

“They can help students discover new ideas, explore knowledge beyond their textbooks and prepare for a world that is becoming increasingly digital.”

Yet equipment, she stressed, was only the beginning. Its educational value would depend on teachers having the confidence and skills to turn access into meaningful learning.

“This is important because technology alone does not transform learning. Teachers need the confidence and skills to use it effectively, and students need opportunities to apply what they learn.”

That conviction shapes the initiative’s second pillar: the Intel Skills for Innovation programme, through which educators from 32 schools across Johor will receive training.

Delivered by Intel’s training team and adapted to local curriculum requirements and educational needs, the programme aims to help teachers integrate technology into lessons, encourage innovative learning experiences and strengthen students’ digital competencies.

Invoking Rotary’s theme, “Create Lasting Impact”, Yeap said the project’s true measure would emerge beyond the ceremony, through better-supported teachers and wider opportunities for students.

She encouraged young beneficiaries to remain curious, ask questions and explore new ideas.

“A handover ceremony marks an important milestone, but the real work continues in the classrooms,” she said.

Representing JPNJ, Hisham Abdul Hamid, senior principal assistant director in the Special Education Sector, expressed appreciation to the three Rotary clubs and their strategic partners.

He said strengthening education required coordinated cooperation between government, businesses and non-governmental organisations. Depending solely on the Ministry of Education or the department would mean slower progress, he added.

“To accelerate progress and drive our education system towards digitalisation, we need assistance from strategic partners such as the Rotary clubs, particularly those from across the Causeway,” he said.

A lighter moment came when Hisham recalled initially assuming that the Rotary Club of Sentosa was based in Taman Sentosa, Johor Bahru, before its logo revealed its Singapore connection.

Behind the humour was a serious message: digitalisation and the rise of artificial intelligence demanded approaches different from those familiar to earlier generations of schoolchildren.

For Intel’s head of commercial marketing and communications, Jimmy Hung, the project addressed a need extending far beyond ownership of a device.

“I think today, it’s not about just giving a laptop. It’s actually providing access,” he said.

Hung said technological change was moving so rapidly that even those working in the industry were striving to keep pace, making continuous learning essential for educators and students alike.

The question, he suggested, should evolve from “Can you give us a laptop?” to “Can you give us digital education that is updated?”

An educator and trainer himself, Hung said teaching content could become outdated within months, raising concerns about whether the skills students acquired today would meet tomorrow’s employment needs.

He said the partnership had progressed from an initial meeting to the handover in about three months — a pace reflecting the urgency of the challenge.

Across Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere, he added, communities shared the task of upgrading skills and securing access to suitable technology.

For the schools receiving these laptops, the next chapter will unfold in ordinary lessons: a teacher trying a fresh approach, a student pursuing an unexpected question, a classroom discovering another way to learn.

The ceremony marked the transfer of 140 devices. The lasting promise rests in the minds they may help awaken.