Lengthy closure of schools and colleges not the answer, says Kit Siang

 

The Education and Higher Education Ministries should try to keep the schools and universities open during the Covid-19 pandemic and not close them down as an automatic reflex, Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang said today.

While taking into account the need to reduce the spread of Covid-19, the veteran DAP man said the announcement by Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin on the closure of all schools from Nov 9, even in states where there are no Covid-19 red zones, had been met with mixed reactions.

"In the initial period of the Covid-19 pandemic in March and April this year, when Malaysia and the world were grappling with the deadly Covid-19 epidemic for the first time, uncertain of the nature and characteristics of the pandemic, the closure of schools was the automatic reflex to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

"But after 10 months of the Covid-19 epidemic, we should be able to learn the lessons of the epidemic not only in Malaysia but the whole world, and we should be flexible and nimble in our reactions to the various health, social and economic effects of the epidemic," Lim said in a statement.

He said that one of the lessons in fighting the Covid-19 epidemic is that no one rule fits all circumstances as school closures impact not only students, teachers and families, but have far-reaching economic and societal consequences.

Mohd Radzi Md Jidin

"Radzi’s reply in Parliament that the closure of all schools even in states not currently under the latest conditional movement control order (CMCO) was to prevent the spread of Covid-19 infections was not convincing enough.

"Is Radzi seriously suggesting that schools and universities are the natural breeding grounds of Covid-19? Are they to be closed until the end of the epidemic?" asked Lim.

He said as it could not be certain when the vaccine for Covid-19 could be widely available, people in every country must learn to live with the coronavirus and that it is inconceivable to close all schools and universities until 2022.

Schools and universities therefore should re-open with stricter standard operating procedures (SOP) and more creative options, like smaller classes or the holding of classes on alternative weeks.

"Decision-making for the closure of schools and universities should be decentralised – for example, mandating each state government to decide on the issue instead of a national central agency," he said.

Lim also called for educational NGOs and parental groups to also be involved in the decision-making process to try and keep schools and universities open during the Covid-19 pandemic, instead of finding the easy way out by closing them. - Mkini