Education groups, parents welcome decision to reopen schools
By Dhesegaan Bala Krishnan - February 20, 2021 @ 9:40am
KUALA LUMPUR: Education groups are jubilant that students will finally return to the classroom after struggling to catch up on lessons via remote learning.
National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Harry Tan Huat Hock said the reopening of schools resonated with the aspirations of teachers.
"In a survey carried out by NUTP on teachers last year, it was found that 93 per cent (out of the of the 10,500 surveyed) wanted face-to-face classes with their students.
"So we welcome and are delighted that some sort of normalcy has returned to the lives of our students.
"The staggered approach to reopen schools is the best option so that schools can gradually accept the students and ensure that they comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP)," Tan told the New Straits Times.
Although schools will reopen, Tan stressed that DidikTV KPM, which was recently launched, can still serve as an additional learning tool for students to guide their learning after schooling hours.
Yesterday, Senior Minister (Education) Dr Radzi Jidin announced that primary school pupils will return to classes in two groups next month.
The first group will comprise pre-schoolers, along with Year 1 and Year 2 pupils on March 1; while Year 3 to 6 pupils will resume physical classes on March 8.
Meanwhile, secondary school students will return to classes on April 4 after the end of this year's mid-term break.
Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) president Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim also lauded the reopening of schools as "timely and reassuring" as the standard operating procedures have been reviewed accordingly and tightened adequately.
However, she urged school authorities to address the issues that bother students as a result of being out of school for so long.
"Besides the possibility of Covid-19 infections, school authorities must also pay attention to other issues such as poor academic performance, mental health, food insecurity as well as abuse and neglect.
"Parents also have to ensure that their children adhere to the SOP at all times once they leave home.
"Do not let them travel anywhere else unnecessarily to prevent infections in school grounds," she said.