‘Give state and district education departments power to close schools in Covid-19 hotspots’

KUALA LUMPUR – The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) has reiterated its call to the federal government to give temporary powers to state and district education departments to close schools if there are Covid-19 cases involving teachers or students.

Its president Aminuddin Awang said leaving the decision on school closures to higher jurisdictions could cause unnecessary delays in preventing the disease from spreading in affected areas.

"The government must grant temporary authority to the district and state education departments as we are at a critical moment now," he told The Vibes when contacted this morning.

Aminuddin said the district and state education departments are better placed when it comes to deciding which schools should be closed in their respective localities.

He added, currently, many teachers, parents and students situated in red zones were deeply worried about holding physical classes, especially those in areas with high numbers of reported infections.

"Right now, there is an over-reliance on past standard operating procedures, red tape and overly-arduous bureaucracy which delays urgent action needed to be taken," he said.

"The authorities are treading a familiar path in an unprecedented situation, and there needs to be a revamp of the working process to allow consolidated decision-making." 

Aminuddin added, teachers were currently better prepared to handle online and distance learning, compared to when the first wave of the movement control order was implemented, as they now had better guidelines to conduct classes, both online and offline.

Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim echoed Aminuddin’s stance on the matter, saying parental instinct is key in raising children.

“If a parent feels that their child is in danger, take heed and act on it,” she said when contacted.

“Parents do not need to wait for bureaucrats to make decisions for them if the life of their child may be at stake.”

Earlier today, Bernama reported the closure of 142 schools in Klang beginning today until October 23, after the district was declared a Covid-19 red zone.

In recent days, parents and other stakeholders have called for closures of schools in high risk areas as concerns mount over the spike in infections in the country.

The areas affected include those in Kedah, Selangor and Sabah. – The Vibes, October 8, 2020