GEORGE TOWN – The Education Ministry on Thursday issued a memo to all teachers requesting that parents fill out a survey on their views concerning the reopening of schools starting September 1.
Teachers were given until 4.30pm to gather the responses. A check by The Vibes later found that the form had already been closed.
Natalie, a secondary school teacher in Petaling Jaya, forwarded the survey to the parents of students in her classes.
“Maybe, this is MoE’s way of seeking feedback from parents, many of whom are unhappy to send their children back to school.”
The memo underscores the sentiments of parents who feel that the reopening is not timely due to schools’ lack of preparedness as Covid-19 infections continue to rise.
MoE last month announced that schools across the country will resume physical classes in stages starting September 1.
Many parents, agreeing with a recent statement by National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Tan Huat Hock, are dissatisfied with the Health Ministry’s decision to allow schools to reopen.
“We need to consider the fear index prevalent among parents of schoolgoing children,” said Tan.
Ultimately, they are the ones who will decide. As long as infection and mortality rates remain high, it is very difficult to convince everyone of the safety of going back to school.
“However, we believe that once herd immunity is achieved and the mortality rate goes down, people will be more receptive to the safety assurances given.”
Md Fakarudin Ab Rahman, committee member of the Sekolah Dato’ Abdul Razak parent-teacher association, said he will not allow his youngest child, aged 8, to attend school next month as the decision to resume in-person classes does not make sense.
“The Covid-19 numbers are still alarming. The Delta variant is very dangerous and highly infectious.”
He feels that most students have adapted to home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) even though it is not as good as face-to-face sessions.
Parents have also spent money on gadgets, printers and other items so that their children can follow PdPR lessons.
“The most important thing is, we should not gamble with their lives,” said Fakarudin.
Safety policies not clear
Another parent, Audrey, from Kota Kinabalu, told The Vibes that only Forms 5 and 6 students should be allowed to attend school on September 1, with strict standard operating procedures in place.
Classes for other students “can wait as the children’s safety is of utmost importance”, she said.
Teachers conducting PdPR also reiterated the importance of safety, stressing that it will be difficult to monitor students, especially the younger ones.
Kalai, a former teacher who presently runs a tuition centre, said: “Many will not follow the SOPs. It will be unsafe for them, and some students have health issues and need extra precaution.”
Assoc Prof Fazal Mohamed Mohamed Sultan, who has been in contact with students’ parents, said many feel that schools should not reopen until the virus caseload is under control.
Children’s health is the utmost priority, and even though PdPR is tough, most parents say they don’t mind being patient for the time being. I will carry on with it.”
Teach for Malaysia chief executive Chan Soon Seng feels that schools should be allowed to reopen only if they meet all the safety requirements.
He said a more decentralised approach should be taken to allow states, districts and schools to decide whether they can reopen based on strict criteria.
Retired principal Jerome Fernandez said MoE’s announcement on the reopening has not been received well by many parents because of a lack of proper clarification on policies, programmes and guidelines by the ministry on ensuring schools’ safety come September 1.
Schools, meanwhile, have not remained silent on how they will manage students.
“It is not a matter of one size fits all,” said Fernandez.
“Many different aspects, depending on location, type of school and the community, need to be taken into consideration.”
Yesterday, MoH reported 21,468 new Covid-19 cases nationwide. – The Vibes, August 14, 2021
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