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Background
of Best District Vocational Service project:
1. As Information
Technology is becoming a necessity in our everyday
life, the board
of
directors find it timely that a project of this nature
has to be implemented.
2. With the assistance of the
Sarawak State Education Department, it was revealed
that most
schools in Sarawak have computer clubs that are
financed by the
Parent
Teachers Association (PTA).
3. These school computer clubs
are very popular amongst the students.
4. Although the majority of
the computer clubs cater for secondary students, there
were a
number that also cater for the primary students.
5. The project committee
concluded that is we can provide these computer clubs
with
exciting and the latest educational software, more
students will probably be
attracted to join the
computer clubs and this will indirectly reduce the
drop out
rates amongst the students because to join
the school computer clubs the
person has to be a
student of that particular school. Hence increasing
the
probability of students going through the minimum
required schooling.
6. A survey was conducted by
the club and the Sarawak State Education
Department
and it was found that there are a total of 71 school
computer clubs
in Sarawak
with an estimated total membership nearly 10,000
students.
7. From the survey, it was
also concluded that 99.9% of the clubs are using
illegally
copied
software due to insufficient funds or unawareness in
the Copyright Act.
8. The illegal copying of
software is an infringement of the Copyright Act.
Hence
there was
also a need to bring about the increase in awareness
in the Copyright
Act.
9. On 18th October 1996, the
Rotary Club of Kuching Central and Microsoft
(Malaysia)
Sdn Bhd in association with Comserv (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd,
the
Microsoft
Solution Provider in Sarawak, decided to donate a
variety of software
with a
total worth of RM1,491,202.00 to 71 school computer
clubs throughout
Sarawak.
10. The handing over ceremony was
officiated by the District 3310 Governor, Datuk
George
Ginibun in Kuching together with Mr. John Lauer,
General Manager of
Microsoft
(Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and was witnesses by YB Datuk Abang
Hj. Abdul
Rahman
Zohari, Sarawak State Minister for Industrial
Development and Minister
in-charge
for Sarawak State Education.
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