JOHOR BARU – While the end of 2022 is just around the corner, parents have been reminded that their school-going children still need to sit for this year’s final examination next month at the beginning of 2023.
Thus, teachers are hoping that parents will keep an eye on their children’s health and safety, while also ensuring that they revise what they studied during the schooling session they attended earlier.
“This year’s third schooling session will resume this January. The final examination for the 2022 school academic session will be held in the same month.
“So I hope that parents can help their children prepare for the examinations despite the current monsoon season we are facing,” said a Sarawak-based teacher when contacted by The Vibes.
The English teacher, who was born in Penang, said that the formal academic year for 2023 will only begin on March 19 and end on March 9, 2024. This is for schools in group A, including Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
“Schools in group B include those in Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
“Their school session for next year begins on March 20 and will end on March 10 the following year,” explained the teacher, who wished to remain anonymous.
Similarly, another teacher said that parents should ensure their children are at their optimum health during this period so that they can perform their best during their final examination.
“I can only hope that my students are safe with their families, and that floods will not hit Pasir Gudang and the areas surrounding the school where I’m teaching,” said Na’aim Idris, a 34-year-old teacher, who hails from Pahang, when met by The Vibes on Saturday.
Money for uniforms and equipment
Aliff Redzuan, a 35-year-old single father of an 8-year-old son, said that he has kept aside RM500 to prepare for his only child’s schooling equipment next year.
“Usually I will buy him two sets of new uniforms every year and one pair of new shoes.
“His current school shoes are still usable, but he might outgrow them before the end of 2023, so I’ll just buy a new, slightly bigger pair, just in case,” said Aliff, a self-employed man from Pontian.
Meanwhile, Wahida Wahid, 43, said that her son, who attends a private Chinese vernacular school in Johor Baru, is excited to start the new schooling session next year.
“It’s funny, but he’s excited that he will get to wear long pants to school, as the school (previously) used to require students in Form 3 and below to wear short pants,” Wahida said of her son, who is in Form 3.
She added that she also had set aside some money for her son’s schooling session next year.
“The school’s fee is RM1,200 per quarter, so the total would be RM4,800 for a year.
“In terms of equipment and uniforms, I normally need to fork out about RM1,000 every year,” she said.
Wahida added that despite the economy having yet to fully recover after the pandemic, she had put aside every penny she could to ensure the continuity of her son’s education.
There have been calls for the school sessions to be reverted back to January, but the decision to stick with the current practice was made considering that it would mean that Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia could be held outside of the monsoon season, which normally occurs during the end of the year. – The Vibes, December 26, 2022
