KUALA LUMPUR – The reopening of schools for face-to-face lessons has earned the support of parents and education NGOs alike, with many hoping the children will benefit from better social interaction among their peers and teachers.
Entrepreneur Gun Chin Yong, 38, said that while he would have preferred for the reopening to be delayed slightly to ensure tighter standard operating procedures (SOPs), he wants his daughter to undergo face-to-face learning.
“If online education continues, soon enough, the kids might develop some symptoms from insufficient (social) interaction,” he told The Vibes recently.
Event services manager and father of two Eugene Loo, 38, said the recent announcement on the reopening is timely as his son and daughter have been studying for only an hour a day via online classes at their Chinese-type school.
“It’s about time for schools to reopen. Online classes have been okay so far, but one hour a day is definitely not enough. I noticed some kids have been lagging behind as the teachers have too much of the syllabus to complete,” he said.
Describing himself as old-fashioned, Loo believes his son and daughter, aged 7 and 9, respectively, would be better off attending classes and mingling with children their own age to help build character.
“At present, I do not blame the teachers as they have done their best. I’ve sat in those classes before and have seen the way they teach,” he said.
He said teachers have to instruct pupils on how to use their computers while teaching online.
Also, some parents who are observing tend to provide feedback while the classes are on, making it unproductive, he added.
Dr J. Gayatri, a medical practitioner and mother of two, expressed mixed feelings, saying that although she fears the risk of Covid-19 clusters forming at schools, it is equally important that her 10-year-old son has social interaction with his classmates and teachers.
“Most of our children have been going through (online learning) for almost a year now. It is vital for them to get social exposure so that it can help build character.
“I hope that the schools will be able to tighten the SOPs and ensure that children are disciplined by the teachers to follow them as well,” she said.
‘Don’t make attendance compulsory’
Meanwhile, Parent Action Group for Education (Page) president Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the reopening of schools is timely and reassuring as SOPs are reviewed accordingly and tightened adequately.
She said the issue faced by the students is not just about the possibility of infection in schools in the return to formal face-to-face, in-class learning.
She said online lessons risk leaving some students behind academically, exposes them to mental health and food insecurity issues, as well as abuse and neglect at home.
“Parents have to ensure at all times that their children adhere strictly to the SOPs once they leave home for school or anywhere else to ensure zero infections take place,” she said yesterday.
However, Azimah also called for schools not to make attendance compulsory for the time being.
“At this point, allow parents to decide,” she said.
Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin had on Friday announced that schools will reopen in stages starting next month.
In a live address, he said that classes for preschool, and Years 1 and 2 will resume on March 1 while classes for Years 3 to 6 will start on March 8.
He added that secondary schools in Group A states (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu) will reopen on April 4 while those in Group B (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perlis, Penang, Perak, Putrajaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Selangor) will start a day after.
“The reopening of secondary schools is in April to accommodate the SPM 2020 examinations. Hence, it has been decided that those schools will reopen after the term break that is scheduled from March 26 and 27 until April 3 and 4,” Radzi had said.
Private primary and secondary schools will reopen on the same dates as public schools while international schools, private tertiary institutions and tuition centres will reopen from March 8. – The Vibes, February 21, 2021
