KUDAT, MALAYSIA: Pupils of a primary school in Sabah's northern Matunggong district will learn Science and Mathematics interactively.

Teachers and pupils of SK Tinangol use an electronic whiteboard linked to a computer and a projector to make lessons more fun and effective.

Known as the Pintar Learning System, it is a community project undertaken by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry through its agency Sirim Berhad to encourage the use of technology for the benefit of rural communities.

"We are playing a strategic role in introducing smart learning to improve the academic performance of students in rural areas.

"This way, rural students will get the same opportunity as students in urban schools to use smart learning tools in their classrooms," minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said when launching the project here on Saturday.

Dr Maximus said the software content could be created by teachers themselves to enable students to participate more actively.

SK Tinangol is the second school to utilise the interactive system after a pilot project was launched at SK Nanga Kesit in Lubok Antu, Sarawak, in April.

Dr Maximus said 11 more schools - six in Sabah and five in Sarawak - would be equipped with the new system.

Each of the schools will receive RM55,000 (S$22,528) to adopt the learning method in their classrooms, he added.

"This is our contribution towards promoting the appreciation of Science and Mathematics among students in the rural areas," he added.