KUALA LUMPUR – All government schools in Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur will be closed tomorrow and Friday, following the movement control orders (MCO) imposed on Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
This is the same directive issued for Selangor hours earlier. The two-day closure will lead into the Hari Raya Aidilfitri school break that was slated for May 10 to 16.
The ministry had earlier announced the resumption of home-based teaching and learning for two weeks starting from May 17.
Meanwhile, the travel schedule for boarding schools must remain to avoid confusion among parents and students.
Earlier today, Selangor ordered all schools in the state to shut from tomorrow, according to a state Education Department-issued circular.
“In light of the fact that there will be only two days of face-to-face learning left before the Hari Raya Aidilfitri break, the ministry has decided to close all schools in the state,” it read.
“Schools must ensure home-based teaching and learning is conducted during the closure. Boarding school students travelling home for Hari Raya will follow the schedules set by their respective learning institutions,” it continued, adding that schools should retain their schedules to avoid confusion among parents and students.
Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today announced the MCO for Kuala Lumpur, while the MCO announcement for Selangor was made yesterday. Kuala Lumpur’s MCO will start from May 7 to 20.
Six districts in Selangor will be placed under a two-week MCO from tomorrow. The districts are Hulu Langat, Petaling, Gombak, Klang, Kuala Langat, and Sepang.
Three other districts – Kuala Selangor, Sabak Bernam, and Hulu Selangor – will remain under the conditional MCO.
On April 26, Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said all school students will continue online classes for two weeks after the end of the holiday season.
In a Facebook post, he said the Hari Raya holiday will begin on May 11.
However, the ministry has decided that Group A schools will take replacement days for May 9 and 10, while Group B schools will start the holiday on May 10.
He said Group A schools will therefore be off from May 7 to 15, while Group B will be off from May 8 to 16.
“In the context of teaching and learning, the ministry has taken the approach of implementing online classes for two weeks after the holidays.
“This is to reduce the risk of (Covid-19) transmissions that may occur outside of schools during the festive season, which can increase infections in learning institutions under the (ministry).”
This decision affects some 2.7 million primary school pupils and 2.03 million secondary school students nationwide.
Some 170,000 students from day-boarding schools and 100,000 from full-boarding schools will also be allowed to return home. – The Vibes, May 5, 2021
