PUTRAJAYA – The Education Ministry will not punish students who are absent from school due to their parents’ concerns over the Covid-19 situation, said Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin.
However, he said parents must inform the schools in advance.
“We have never penalised students who do not want to go to school if they feel unsafe to do so, but parents must write a letter to inform and give a proper reason.
“We (schools) must have proper recordings.”
Children showing symptoms must not be sent to school, Radzi said, and parents under quarantine must not send their children to learning institutions.
He added that parents must always remind children to comply with standard operation procedures (SOPs) to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in schools.
On the after school dispersal process, Radzi said generally the SOPs for primary school students are easy to comply with, but the ministry faces a challenge when it comes to secondary school students.
“Our challenge is when students gather at parking areas, and when they exit the school in groups.”
To date, he said, 90 schools have adopted the rotation system to ensure the compliance of dispersal SOPs and physical distancing between students. – Bernama, April 27, 2021
