KUALA LUMPUR – Individual schools should be allowed to decide for themselves when to resume face-to-face classes as only they would know if it is safe to do so, said Pakatan Harapan (PH) education committee.
In a statement today, the committee said the government must give this autonomy to the schools, decisions of which then be made by the respective managements, parent-teacher associations and board of directors.
This was among four recommendations given by the committee to the government following the announcement by Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin yesterday that schools would be opened in stages starting next month.
“Every location has different cases and situations. The Education Ministry cannot make a blanket decision at the time of a pandemic,” the statement read.
It was signed by former education minister and Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik, former deputy minister and Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching, Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Tampin MP Datuk Hasan Baharom.
Yesterday, in a live address, Radzi had said that Standard 1 and 2 would resume physical classes on March 1, Standard 3 to 6 on March 8 while Group A secondary schools on April 4 and Group B on April 5.
He had also said private primary and secondary schools would reopen on the same dates as public schools while international schools, private tertiary institutions and tuition centres would reopen from March 8.
Other than the autonomy for schools to decide on reopening dates, PH education committee suggested that the resumption of schools should take into account the Covid-19 status of each state.
It said the reopening dates for states under the conditional movement control order (CMCO) should not be the same as those under the recovery movement control order.
Additionally, the committee recommended that teachers and school staff should be given priority in the phase one of the national vaccination programme.
“This is because once schools start operating again, teachers will be considered as frontliners, who are striving to educate our children,” it said.
Finally, the committee proposed that school allows space for teachers to focus on teaching and other administrative work should not be made a priority for the educators.
“It is incumbent that the government has a comprehensive plan for any scenarios involving the Covid-19 pandemic, so parents, students, teachers and others affected can make proper preparations,” it said. – The Vibes, February 20, 2021
