KUALA LUMPUR – The government should set up a National Education Action Council (NEAC) to address the issue of dropouts due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Former education minister Maszlee Malik (independent-Simpang Renggam) said the virus crisis has affected and excluded nearly one million pupils – known as the “lost generation” – from the schooling system.
This group consists of preschoolers, and Years 1 and 2 pupils who are struggling with basic skills, such as reading, writing and counting, he said during the Education Ministry’s budget debate at the committee stage.
“It is even more unfortunate when the Education Ministry does not have a master plan for them in 2021, to address the dropout (issue).”
In this regard, said Maszlee, NEAC, comprising government and opposition MPs, and stakeholders, should be established.
He said a resolution can be produced if the ministry is open to cooperation across political parties and ideologies.
“This effort is to produce an effective master plan to address the problem of the lost generation.”
Meanwhile, he proposed that Putrajaya allocate incentives to teachers struggling to implement online learning during the pandemic.
Educators are burdened with having to use more internet data, which they have to buy themselves, as well as an increase in electricity bills and additional paperwork that needs to be sent to students, he said.
“They are also our frontliners. I urge the government to pay teachers in the form of a one-off aid or tax relief, for the money they use for online learning.” – The Vibes, December 15, 2020
