School closures should have been done at district level, says Maszlee

 

PARLIAMENT | The decision to close schools as part of Covid-19 prevention measures should have been left in the hands of district Education Departments, former education minister Maszlee Malik said.

Debating the Supply Bill 2020, Maszlee (Independent-Simpang Renggam) said this was opposed to the current blanket closure enforced by Putrajaya.

"In the issue of closure and reopening of schools, why weren't the district Education Departments empowered, along with the local schools and Parent-Teacher Associations (to make the decision)?

"They are better informed of the situation in their area compared to those in Putrajaya," Maszlee said in the Dewan Rakyat today. 

"Let decisions be made at a micro-level and not in a blanket manner by policymakers," he added, noting that the uncertainties had sparked concerns among stakeholders, including parents and teachers.

Maszlee noted that prolonged closure of schools would negatively impact not only students but also canteen operators and related service providers.

Earlier, Teo Nie Ching (Harapan-Kulai) also argued against a blanket closure of schools, including in Covid-19 green zones such as Pahang.

"Is it reasonable for us to close all schools, including in green zones like Pahang, with zero new cases and zero active cases?

"Why can't we allow the children there to return to school if agreed to by their parents?" asked Teo, who served as Maszlee's deputy in the previous Harapan administration.

"I wouldn't have a problem if the parents had said they feel unsafe about sending their children to school, but we need to think whether this (blanket) decision will widen the education gap among the students," she said, adding that among those worse impacted would be rural students with limited resources for home-based learning.

'Vernacular schools not cause of disunity'

Teo also cited an example close to home in arguing against a persistent claim that vernacular schools are hindering national unity among Malaysians.

Sharing an anecdote of her son's good friend Yusof, Teo said attending different schools did not stop the duo from spending time together.

"What is the problem? For our children, (Disney characters) Elsa can be their idol, Mulan can be their idol, Moana can also be their idols.

"For the children, they are not racist or harbour prejudice. Who has racist and prejudiced sentiments? Unfortunately, there are some among us sitting here," she added.

In a Nov 10 parliamentary reply to Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the Education Ministry’s data showed Malay student enrolment in SJKCs had jumped a significant 6.18 percent from 2010 to this year.

The latest primary school enrolment figures also pointed to a slide in popularity in national schools among Chinese and Indian parents. - Mkini