Covid-19: Inspect schools before reopening them, ministry told

By Adib Povera - June 7, 2020 @ 11:42pm

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry has been called to conduct another round of inspection, at least a week before schools are re-opened amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

In welcoming the announcement by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that schools nationwide will be open in stages during the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) period, the National Parent Teacher Association said another round of checks would enable the ministry to ensure that all facilities and procedures ate schools are in place to protect students from contracting the viral infection.

It's Assoc. Prof. Datuk Dr Mohd Ali Hassan said the ministry could invite local education community such as the PTA as well as health and local authorities to conduct the inspection prior to the re-opening of classes.

"The ministry should also establish an independent body to conduct spot checks at schools to ensure all the standard operation procedures and guidelines outlined by the government was adhered to by the respective schools," he told the New Straits Times.

He also hoped the ministry would elaborate on matters related to the SOPs and guidelines for public vehicles such as school busses and vans used to transport children between their homes and schools.

"The ministry must also ensure that operators of schools busses also strictly adhere to the SOPs required by the ministry to protect the safety of the education community as well as the children going to schools," he said.

The association, he said, also volunteered to cooperate with the ministry and assist schools to conduct temperature screening of student's attending schools.

"This will help classes to start on time and ensure all guidelines and SOPs set by the ministry are complied to at all times," he said.

The National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) also welcomed the long awaited announcement and agrees with the government that schools should be allowed to resume in stages and priority should be given to students' safety.

Its secretary-general Harry Tan Huat Hock, urged the ministry to conduct a review to shorten and lighten times allocated for the curriculum and study sessions.

"This is important in order to constantly keep safety as our priority," he said.

It was reported that temperature screening before entering the school compound and eating in classrooms during recess periods, would be among the new norms needed to be adapted and implemented, when schools reopen.

Education Minister Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin had said these guidelines as well as temperature checks on pupils would be amongst the new SOPs that teachers would need to carry out, when schools re-open.