PUTRAJAYA – The Education Ministry (MOE) is considering sending exam-bound Sabah students – whose schools have closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic – to hostels, according to Senior Minister (Education) Dr Radzi Jidin.
Reportedly, parents in Sabah want their children sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) examinations to undergo face-to-face sessions with their teachers, he said.
“This follows a proposal from parents in the state,” he told a press conference today, after chairing an online meeting with the State Education Department and the District Education Office.
According to him, although students living in hostels in Sabah have been allowed to return home following the implementation of the conditional movement control order (CMCO), most parents want them to stay in hostels because of safety concerns.
Limited access to the internet, as well as the lack of devices to conduct online learning, were also a hindrance for students, especially for those from more remote parts of the state.
“However, teachers have done their best by providing modules for students who do not have internet facilities and devices, especially for those sitting for exams to enable them to revise at home,” he said.
On schools closings, Radzi said the matter was made on the advice of the Health Ministry (MOH).
Currently 2,601 schools, with a total of 1.67 million students, have temporarily closed due to Covid-19. – Bernama, October 20, 2020
