Home-based learning for madrasahs & donations of laptops by Tata Consultancy Services

1. Since the announcement of the ‘circuit breaker’ period, the full-time madrasahs have intensified the preparation of their home-based learning (HBL) platforms, to support the learning of their students. Madrasahs have utilised various online educational tools (for example, Google Education, iTunes U, and other learning management systems) supplemented with hard copy learning packages.

2. Some madrasahs conduct ‘live’ lessons where students are required to log in and record their attendance, mirroring the usual classroom experience. For these madrasahs, their weekly timetables have been adjusted to alternate between screen time and offline activities. In some madrasahs, teachers have pre-recorded lessons via Loom or YouTube which allows students to take breaks in between screen time. Students are also required to take videos of themselves doing selected activities at home and upload them onto madrasahs’ learning management systems.

3. Form teachers regularly do a check-in with students and parents through various platforms to ensure that the learning continues to take place at home in the best possible way and meet the desired learning outcomes.

Donation of laptops to underprivileged madrasah students

4. When HBL was made compulsory for all schools in Singapore during the circuit breaker period, MUIS collaborated with Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to partner the tech industry and provide assistance to students from low-income households who do not own personal computers or laptops.

5. Through Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) generous sponsorship, 58 madrasah students¹ from low-income households have received new and refurbished laptops. In addition, the sponsorship also covered mobile broadband connection for 14 students, who do not currently have such provision in their homes.

Video conference event – Appreciation of TCS sponsorship

6. The official appreciation event to mark TCS sponsorship was held on Friday 17 April 2020 over a videoconference meeting. The Madrasah Principals as well as representatives from MUIS and TCS were present at the meeting.

Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura

¹ Student beneficiaries are from Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah, Madrasah Al-Arabiah Al-Islamiah, Madrasah Al-Ma’arif Al-Islamiah and Madrasah Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah.