Parents torn on school reopening

KUALA LUMPUR – There is no doubt parents feel schools are the best place for their children to learn, given the problems associated with online learning and distractions at home, especially for the younger set in preschool and primary school.

There are still many challenges parents face, including the strict enforcement of SOPs and need for the government to ensure the long-term safety of students at schools. This will involve how to ensure social distancing, especially for extracurricular activities, as well as overall cleanliness at schools.

Yesterday being the first day of school for preschoolers, Year 1 and 2 children, parents accompanied their young ones right up the entrances of their schools, where they were met by the teacher in charge of sanitisation and checked for their temperature and compliance in wearing masks. 

Mother Nurul Aishah said she hopes the government will go beyond ensuring adherence to strict SOPs at schools to keep children safe.

“The government should also get all teachers are vaccinated as soon as possible so the students feel safe in the school environment,” said Nurul.

Yesterday morning, parents were seen hovering around school entrances, keeping an eye on their children. One of them was P. Sukumari, who said she was relieved that she no longer had to keep an eye on her daughter while she was attending her online classes.

Many parents also expressed concern about the possibility that some students may not understand the importance of SOP compliance, and hoped teachers are patient in explaining it to them.

No simple answers

On whether it really is safe for students to go back to school, consultant paediatrician Datuk Dr Amar-Singh HSS said there are no simple answers.

“The patchy education that many children of all ages experienced this past year due to school closures has resulted in some children losing basic skills, regressing in learning abilities and having to relearn how to make friends. One Education Ministry survey conducted from March to April last year showed that 37% of children did not possess any digital device and only 15% had personal computers. So, digital learning does not favour the poor,” said Dr Amar.

Another important aspect, said Dr Amar, is the lack of interest shown by children in schooling, reported by one in five parents, as reported in the Unicef October 2020 Families on the Edge Report (Part 2).

“Schools are also important for nutrition and 10% of children come to school without breakfast and another 60% have irregular breakfast. The school-based Supplementary Food Programme is vital for some of these children with poor food security,” said Dr Amar.

“But coming back to school safely is not easy. Some urban schools are densely packed and already have two sessions. They are space constraints that limit good social distancing,” added Dr Amar.

“One key limitation now in the ministry’s SOP is ventilation. Ventilation of classrooms (fresh air, not recirculated aircon air), changing air volume four to five times per hour is key. We need low-cost measures to get this to happen,” said Dr Amar. 

Transport is also another area of concern, said Dr Amar.

“Travelling to and from school in school buses also lacks distancing. Any sports and group extracurricular activities can increase the risk of transmission,” he said.

As for vaccination, Dr Amar said it is important to get teachers inoculated.

“We also need to prioritise teachers for vaccines early to protect the children. So, we should use multiple strategies, perhaps different strategies in different settings. Using hybrid attendance models and de-densifying classrooms are vital, as is ventilation. We should mobilise additional teachers to allow more classes.” – The Vibes, March 2, 2021