Selangor govt to discuss reopening schools, don't want a 'premature decision'

 

The Selangor state government will thoroughly discuss the possibility of reopening schools in the state in September as they do not want it to be a “premature decision”, said Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari.

“For the state government of Selangor, we will discuss thoroughly by next week the possibility or the idea to open the schools in September.

“We will advise the National Security Council (NSC) to make sure the decision is not premature,” he said in an online press conference today.

The state government, he said, had made the mistake of prematurely allowing interstate travel at the end of last year for domestic tourism, which had led to a new wave of the Covid-19 outbreak this year.

He also stressed the importance of complying with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) even for vaccinated individuals.

The Education Ministry has planned to reopen schools in stages for physical classes starting from Sept 1.

This decision has been questioned by many, including Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, who has urged the government to reconsider.

“The number of Covid-19 cases in our country is at the highest that has ever been recorded.

“Allowing our children to return to school in such a situation is not only very risky, but it is also very irresponsible,” he said in a statement last night.

Not only that, he said, the teachers have not been fully vaccinated yet, nor has the government started inoculating teenagers between the ages of 12 to 18 years old.

If the government were to go ahead with its plan to reopen schools on Sept 1, Mohamad said it will push the healthcare system to the point of paralysis.

“So, stop making all these decisions that will eventually threaten the health and safety of students, teachers, families and the communities,” he urged.

However, for areas and states that are low-risk and have a high vaccination rate, reopening schools in stages can be considered, such as in Perlis, Sarawak and Labuan, he said.

Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun said while he supports reopening schools, the government needs to announce SOPs in advance.

“The Health Ministry needs to be ready with clear SOPs and needs to make sure these children are vaccinated first before we allow them to enter lectures or classes in person,” Aminuddin was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.

He also said there was a need to avoid school clusters from developing. - Mkini