Parents keep kids home, want MOE to close schools

 

COVID-19 | The Education Ministry should take urgent action to close schools and commence e-learning as Covid-19 cases spike nationwide, parents said.

In interviews with Malaysiakini, parents expressed concern for their children’s safety even with the existing standard operating procedures to reduce the risk of infection.

Mother of two, Noorizan Ahmad, 55, said she was fearful because the latest mutation of Covid-19 was said to be even more infectious and could spread easily in a school.

“It can even enter a prison, which is highly secured, so it could easily happen in schools among children. Furthermore, the virus spreads silently so anyone can be a carrier,” she said.

As such, she said, the safest option was to postpone schooling.

“Children in residential schools should also be allowed to return home. Parents will be relieved while teachers won’t be burdened with having to impose extra precautionary measures,” she said.

To date, at least 10 schools and pre-schools nationwide have been affected by Covid-19 in a fortnight after either a teacher, parent, student or visitor tested positive.

Parents let kids skip school

Nasir Johan, 53, was among parents who have kept their children at home the past week as a precautionary measure following the spike in cases.

“As a father, I am concerned for my children’s health in this pandemic, especially now when the wave of infections is coming back so swiftly,” he said.

“The Education Ministry must act quickly to suspend in-person schooling before it is too late,” he said.

“We don’t want to cry over spilt milk. As we know even a cabinet minister and many politicians have been infected.”

Nasir Johan

The parents’ voiced their views after the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) urged the ministry to give schools and district education departments the autonomy to shut down schools.

Meanwhile, a school principal in Terengganu said even school administrations were worried about the risk of infection among students and teachers.

The principal, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said it was challenging for schools to ensure all health SOPs were adhered to by students.

“For example, teachers can only ensure social distancing in class but it is difficult to make the children observe it outside the classroom. Primary schoolchildren will play with their friends before and after classes,” he said.

He said despite these challenges, schools have no choice but to remain open and could only wait for instructions from the ministry.

Currently, schools have to check students’ temperatures every day before the school day starts while students are not allowed to leave the classroom for recess.

At the end of the school day, students are allowed out class by class and teachers must accompany all students until the last one has left to ensure social distancing is observed.

Meanwhile, a parent whose child attends a school in Kota Damansara, Selangor was concerned that another student may be infected after exposure to de facto religious affairs minister Zulkifli Mohamad at an event on Saturday.

The student had won third place in the national Quran recitation competition and received a prize from Zulkifli.

“Today, many parents with children attending the school are keeping their children home with some telling the school that their children will be absent for two weeks,” revealed the parent, who refused to be identified.

The minister tested positive yesterday and has urged all who had come into contact with him to undergo screening for Covid-19.

Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (Page) also expressed concern over the recent incidents of Covid-19 involving schools.

Its chairperson Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the government could consider suspending schools in badly affected districts.

She also noted that it was difficult to ensure students, particularly young children in primary schools, abided by the standard operating procedures.

"Perhaps it can be done by district or by state, not necessarily a blanket move. We need to look at the situation. In Kedah for example, the worst-hit area is within a prison [...]," she said.

She added that even if schools were to close, learning should continue online or through television.

"It is important that parents ensure their children are at home and monitor their learning. Parents must assist their children," she said.

Meanwhile, Health Ministry director-general Habibah Abdul Rahim, asked about calls to suspend schooling, said the ministry would issue a statement to address such concerns.

"Wait for the ministry's statement," she said. - Mkini