MCO: All students except those with exams to learn from home

Primary school pupils and secondary school students from Form 1 to Form 4 who are studying in states where a second movement control order (MCO 2.0) will take effect, are to stay home where they will engage in virtual learning.

However, senior students who will be taking various examinations including SPM, SVM, SKM, STPM, STAM and DVM, as well as other international equivalent papers, will be allowed to continue with face-to-face learning.

It added that boarding school students who need to prepare for these examinations may return to their dorms from Jan 16 and will be issued a letter to facilitate their travels.

Furthermore, the Education Ministry said registered private kindergartens can continue to operate on a face-to-face basis.

The Education Ministry outlined the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for education institutions after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today announced stricter controls against Covid-19.

The states and federal territories that will be under MCO 2.0 are Penang, Selangor, Malacca, Johor, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.

This will take effect on Jan 13 and last for two weeks. Schools are set to reopen on Jan 20.

For states not under the MCO 2.0, the Education Ministry said education institutions in these areas - both public and private - can proceed with their respective timetable.

These states include Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan which will be under the conditional MCO, and Perlis and Sarawak which will be under the recovery MCO.

The ministry said learning, be it at school or virtually, will resume on Jan 20.

As such, it said school teachers must return to their posts before Jan 20.

It added that teachers who are handling examination-year students must be present in school to teach face-to-face.

"Special permission letters will be issued by schools so that teachers can travel across states or districts to attend school," it said.

Beginning Jan 13, a nationwide interstate travel ban will be imposed.

For states under MCO 2.0, interdistrict travel is also not allowed unless a special exemption is obtained from the authorities.

As for matriculation colleges under MCO 2.0, the Education Ministry said it will adopt a hybrid model where students already on campus are to remain where they are.

Teacher's training institutes will also adopt full virtual learning from Jan 17, it added. 

The Education Ministry also advised education institutions not under its jurisdiction to follow the same SOP. - Mkini