Education Ministry releases SOPs for pre-schools

The Education Ministry has released its standard operating procedures (SOP) for the reopening of pre-schools on July 1.

Among the SOPs are that students must wash their hands immediately when they enter their classrooms, teachers must ensure that different groups of students do not mingle with each other and students must eat at their own seats during break times.

The usual SOPs are also included such as taking and recording the temperature of the children before they enter the pre-school premises, social distancing between students and frequent washing of hands before and after activities.

Students, parents and guardians with Covid-19 symptoms are not allowed to enter the pre-school premises.

Students are also encouraged to wear face masks. Those with low immunity must always wear a face mask while on the pre-school premises.

Parents or guardians must also ensure their child or ward do not bring school bags and packed food or drinks to pre-school. An exception is given for those who have special dietary requirements and after permission from the school is obtained.

The full guidelines and SOPs can be found here. 

On June 15, Defence Minister Ismail Sabri had announced that pre-schools would be allowed to reopen on July 1.

He said this was decided at a special ministers’ meeting after they were briefed on the SOPs concerned.

Apart from 7,887 private kindergartens, there are 6,216 pre-schools under the Education Ministry, 1,781 under the Unity Ministry and 8,530 pre-schools or tabika under the Community Development Department (Kemas) of the Rural and Regional Development Ministry. - Mkini