'I'm excited, but I haven't finished my homework'

By Zahratulhayat Mat Arif - July 15, 2020 @ 9:31am

IPOH: "I am excited to come to school today but at the same time I feel scared because I haven't finished my homework."

Farah Aleesha Hafizul, a Year Five pupil of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Jelapang, Taman Meru here said this when met on the first day of the reopening of schools today.

Schools nationwide have been closed since March 18 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and is now reopening in stages, with the first phase having kicked off earlier this month for examination bound classes.

Farah Aleesha said she woke up at 5am today and couldn't catch a good night's sleep last night as she was excited to meet her friends and teachers.

"My mother sent me to school today. Throughout the Movement Control Order (MCO), I couldn't meet my friends and all homeworks were given via WhatsApp and video call," she said.

Her friend, a Year Six pupil, Muhammad Hakim Suhairi said that his parents had made preparations by providing gloves, mask and a handkerchief for him before going to school.

"They always remind me to adhere to the social distancing and to always wash my hands.

"I hope all my friends are able to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) so that we can continue to go to school," said Muhammad Hakim who is also the head prefect at the school.

Meanwhile, the school's headmaster, Noor Azman Zainal Abidin said there are 368 pupils of Year 5 and Year 6 in the school.

"We are providing masks and hand sanitisers for these pupils. We also have 12 infrared thermometers to measure their body temperature before entering the school," he said.

The reopening of schools today involves 230,132 students from Form 6 (Semester 1), Form 1 to Form 4; and Year 5 and Year 6 for primary schools; as well as Remove classes in Perak.