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KUALA LUMPUR – The reopening of schools nationwide, beginning tomorrow, after being closed for a long time, will create a safe environment and capable of restoring the students’ spirit, National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Wang Heng Suan said.
This, he said, was based on the 120-page document on Guidelines for School Management and Operation 3.0 by the Education Ministry (MoE) which focuses on cleanliness of the school compound.
The guideline emphasises on the ventilation aspects in classes and the wearing of face masks for all school staff to ensure optimum safety.
“Some guidelines include surfaces that are often touched must always be sanitised, paths for students to move about, breaktime and several other daily safety measures, such as temperature screening of students, wearing of face masks and observing physical distancing,” he told Bernama.
He said NUTP is confident that the reopening of schools in stages is also part of MoE’s way of identifying situations and circumstances in controlling the spread of Covid-19.
Schools will reopen in stages beginning tomorrow, especially for students who will sit for examinations, and involves certain groups of students in states that are in Phase 2 and above of the National Recovery Plan.
The reopening of school sessions will be on a weekly student rotation method with weekly attendance set at 50% class capacity to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection.
Wang said he hopes all school administrators and teachers will follow the guidelines provided to ensure compliance with standard operating procedures.
The guidelines provide complete information and measures that need to be taken to ensure the safety of students, including for school administrators to set up a Covid-19 committee at school level, he added.
The guidelines also contain information for teachers or school staff who do not wish to receive the vaccine, whereby they are not allowed to be in the same space as those who have completed vaccination.
Thus, only teachers and staff who have been vaccinated will be present in school and this will create a safer school environment for the students, he added.
As of September 11, a total of 97.5% of teachers have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, implementers (97%) and school liaison officers (90.6%).
Meanwhile, National Parents and Teachers Association president Assoc Prof Datuk Mohamad Ali Hasan said with preparations made to ensure a clean school environment and having majority of teachers and students who have been vaccinated, going to school will be safer.
He said the guidelines by the MoE covered everything concerning school management, especially during the pandemic and endemic situation.
“It will certainly make the school safe and able to bring back the cheerfulness and enthusiasm of the students to continue studying,” he added. – Bernama, October 2, 2021
