As announced by the Education Senior Minister Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin, schools nationwide are set to reopen for both primary and secondary students in phases, starting on 15th of July 2020.
The first phase of school reopening took place last June 24 for students are going to take their public examinations this year. The second phase is said to start on 15th July 2020 which involves the students from Form 6, Form 1 to Form 4, and Year 5 and Year 6 for primary schools, as well as the students from ‘kelas peralihan’.
The third phase will start on 22nd of July 2020 which involves primary school pupils – Year 1 to Year 4. As reported in New Straits Times,
“The decision to reopen schools for students of other educational levels in stages was made following advice from the Health Ministry and the National Security Council (NSC),” said Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin.
Parents are advised to not worry about their child’s health at the school as all staffs, teachers, and students will have to adhere to the strict SOP set by the Health Ministry, NSC, and Education Ministry.
Should I send my kids to school?
However, if you are hesitant sending your children back to school due to the pandemic, you can opt to keeping your kids at home. This was announced by the Ministry’s Deputy Director-General (School Operation Sector) Adzman Talib yesterday.
A report by The Star quoted Adzman Talib said parents can decide against sending their children to school out of fear from the pandemic, but they would need to present an official letter informing the school about their decision.
He also said that students who are suffering from health complications such as asthma or needing dialysis must keep their masks on at ALL TIMES when they are in the school. Teachers also should keep their masks on when teaching at a close proximity.
“However, it is not wrong if teachers were to pull their masks down when they are teaching in front of the class, ” said the Education Ministry during a two-hour webinar on July 7.
Despite all the worries and concerns, parents can do your part by guiding your children on how they can adapt to this new normal. One of the ways to help reduce the risk of the virus at your kids’ school is to remind them to always clean and sanitise their hands and wear a face mask most of the time.
It may be hard for your kids to adapt to the new normal and the SOPS as some of us are not comfortable with the changes. This is where you should give more attention to their well being.
Sit them down and talk to them about the changes. Encourage them to express their feelings about these changes, listen to them, and make them understand why these are necessary for everyone in order to live a new kind of normal.