You may have already heard about the recent establishment of Ecole 42 Kuala Lumpur at Sunway Education Group which was launched in July 2020. If you haven’t, in a nutshell, 42KL is a tuition-free computer programming school with a peer-to-peer learning environment that doesn’t involve teachers and lecturers. 42KL is an innovate education model that is designed to develop the skills needed to jumpstart a career as a software engineer using project-based learning approach.

The coding school that focuses heavily on peer-to-peer learning had their plans upended by the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set in place by the various movement control orders (MCO) nationwide – but this was a challenge that 42KL took in stride. A virtual space was created for the students to interact, communicate and engage with each other. The group could then be further divided into smaller groups called ‘villages’ where they learned to work as a team, gather for townhall sessions or simply to take breaks for virtual community games. The very first Piscine (French for swimming pool) kicked off in mid-February to start new intakes in March and May respectively. At the moment, 75% of students in the Piscine are not affiliated with Sunway, and most of the students are aged between 18 to 24 years old, with a further 35 percent in the 25 to 29 years age group. Only half of the students have a bachelor’s degree, with a majority of students residing in Kuala Lumpur or Selangor.

To understand more about this revolutionary coding school which is the first of its kind in Malaysia, we got in touch with Mr Jeff Sandhu, Head, FutureX Talent who answered some of the most frequently asked questions in relation to 42KL at Sunway Education Group, its greater impact on the community and its role towards closing the gap on attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ecole 42 2019

Frequently Asked Questions:

1) Ecole 42, what is in the name? what is the significance of the number 42?

We get this question quite a lot.

Well, ‘Ecole’ translates to the word ‘School’ in French as this coding school was founded in France. ‘42’, fans of the science fiction novel will recognize the significance of 42 from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, where it is the ‘Answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.’ Wanting to give students the ability to navigate their own ultimate questions through learning how to code was the inspiration behind the origins of this name.

2) If you had to describe 42KL to a 10-year-old child, how would you?
It’s like playing Minecraft. You start at Level 1 and complete various building projects that will give you Experience Points. When you reach Level 7, you have all the important skills to build your entire structure. There are no limits to what you can build and there are no rules on how they should be build.

3) No teachers, peer-to-peer learning, how does this work?
First you ask your peers on your right. If that fails, ask your peers on the left. If that fails, there’s always Google. By not having teachers, we believe this is an important step to discovering your own ability on how you learn. Our curriculum modules are ever-changing with constant updates from the 42 network across 24 different cities and 42KL educational staff will be there for guidance on a basic level.

4) Who will grade the students work?
Students tasks will be assessed and graded using our system within the 42 network. They will also be subjected to a peer-to-peer assessment period where several other students will assess each other’s project and engage in an open dialogue.

5) Are the courses fully online?
No, 42KL is a physical coding/programming school and we believe that the best way of learning is in our campus. Considering the current pandemic, we will be ensuring a safe environment with all physical distancing measures in effect.

6) How many students have registered for this program? When will the course start?
We currently have more than 1,500 sign ups for the program and more than 300 of them have passed the first round of assessment. We are preparing for the second round of assessment in our campus in mid-November before the first cohort begins in February 2021.

7) Inequality is a major driver for societal problems, how does the establishment of 42KL address social and economic inequality?
42KL’s low entry requirements enable access to educational resources by underserved communities who may face barriers to enter into educational opportunities due to financial and academic constraints of traditional educational pathways. Those students who may not meet traditional academic requirements are offered an option to pursue an inquiry-based, peer-to-peer education approach.

Because entry requirements do not discriminate against an absence of formal educational qualifications, those who were unable to attain formal educational qualifications are included in the 42KL opportunity and afforded a place in the applicant pool. We also recognise inequality as part of the Sustainable Development Goals, namely SDG10.

It is our hope that bringing 42KL to Sunway City, we are able to play a part in addressing socioeconomic inequality. This is especially important now given the economic pressure faced under COVID-19.

8) How does 42KL provide economic opportunities for students?
Access to education regardless of background provides economic opportunities for 42KL graduates. For students in lower income groups seeking to equip themselves with industry-required skills, the 42KL opportunity provides a low-cost alternative to pursuing tertiary education. Those who pick up sufficient skills become sought after by companies requiring graduates who are able to innovate using data systems, data analytics and navigate software solutions.

9) An important question: How will the establishment of 42KL contribute towards the Sustainable Development Goals?
There are many interlinks between 42KL and the SDG’s.

First and foremost, 42KL opportunity addresses SDG 10 by opening up entry to individuals above the age of 18 regardless of educational background.

The attainment of SDG 10 enables crosscutting benefits with other SDGs. SDGs are complex and intersecting. Upskilling through 42KL provides a route out of SDG 1 – No Poverty, and it is our hope that the graduates of 42KL will contribute towards the achievement of other SDGs such as SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth as well as SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure which is embedded with what 42KL stands for.

10) What is project-based learning and how does it address SDG4 – Quality Education?
As a project-based educational platform, 42KL addresses SDG 4 – Quality Education in depth. Particularly one of the SDG 4 Targets on instilling global citizenship. The UN has called for education systems to instil in learners the ability to address societal issues. 42KL does just that: it has, embedded into its mode of delivery, the pairing of students with real-world issues faced by companies and enterprises. Students develop solutions necessary for these issues. This is the type of thinking skills required for graduates in the job market. At 42KL they are having to take up such critical and analytical approaches to solving problems from the onset.

11) Is there anything else you would like to highlight?
Lastly, I’d like to highlight 42KL’s contribution to SDG 17- Partnerships for the Goals. The establishment of 42KL is a reference to this goal. A school which started in France and now spread across 24 countries worldwide and embarking its journey in Malaysia. One of the reason we are able to offer this for free is because of the partnerships. It’s made possible, thanks to the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, Sunway Education Group, Sunway iLabs, MDEC together with our anchor partners.