Only 50% class capacity when schools reopen

Only fully vaccinated teachers and school support services staff are allowed to enter the school premises

by NURUL SUHAIDI / Pic by BERNAMA

FOLLOWING the announcement of students returning to schools for face-to-face learning, the Education Ministry (MoE) will implement a rotating system allowing only 50% capacity for each class to reduce the risk of Covid-19 in schools.

Beginning Oct 3, students from primary and secondary schools in states under Phases 2, 3 and 4 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) will be returning to schools for physical learning in stages.

Additionally, the 2021 schooling session will be extended to March 2022 so that intervention among weak students can be carried out.

Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin (picture) said through this method, students will be divided into two groups with 50% attending physical classrooms, while another 50% will undergo home teaching and learning (PdPR).

However, schools in states still under Phase 1 of the NRP will remain closed.

“In Phase 2, special needs schools, as well as examination classes such as Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, pre-university and sports schools may reopen, but only to a capacity of 50%,” he said at a press conference in Putrajaya yesterday.

The decision is taken in accordance with the NRP time frame, in order to keep the country on track. The reopening of schools, however, will be subject to the state’s risk assessment based on the NRP criteria.

For states in Phase 3, the reopening of schools will include preschool and private kindergarten pupils without rotation, while secondary schools will involve full boarding school students sitting for public examinations (without rotation) and daily or private schools sitting for public examinations (with rotation).

For states in Phase 4, Years 1, 2 and 3 will attend school on a rotational basis from Oct 17 onwards, while Years 4, 5 and 6 will do the same, also on rotation, from Oct 31.

“Also beginning Oct 17, public examination classes, Form 3 and Form 4 students in full boarding schools will be allowed to attend classes on a rotational basis, while those in Forms 1, 2 and 3 in daily and private schools will attend on a rotational basis.

“Form 1 and Form 2 will continue with PdPR,” Radzi said. Vocational schools will first resume with Phase 2 states and onwards on rotation, according to the examinations they are sitting for and the semesters they are in.

“The priority now is to bring back the students, so they can resume their education properly after being away from school for such a long period of time.

“We realise that there are many out there who want schools to remain close and reopen next year, but the fact is that we are moving in the NRP phases where we need to bring life back to normal by embracing the new normal and adhering to the procedures.

“A total of five million students come from various backgrounds, some live in the city, some in the interior, some live in the suburbs and they come from different socio-economic backgrounds,” Radzi said.

Looking at the current context, the reopening of schools is necessary, given that the country will move into an endemic state. Additionally, teachers may implement the best way to accommodate their students’ learning based on what best suits them and is comfortable for them.

“We do not want to overburden the teachers, so they may choose the best method to deliver lessons to their best discretion,” Radzi added.

Students may also opt to wear their own clothes if they do not have school uniforms, as long as the clothing is suitable and appropriate.

“As of now, we are not allowing each state to regulate their own guidelines to ensure the reopening of schools is systematic, as well as to avoid confusion among the public,” he said.

Nevertheless, physical class attendance is not compulsory and students may opt for PDPR, but they are required to present a letter stating their absence from school.

“No action will be taken if the student does not attend their physical class,” Radzi said.

Additionally, in ensuring the school’s ecosystem is safe, only fully vaccinated teachers and school support services staff are allowed to enter the school premises.

The ministry also announced tighter standard operating procedures (SOPs) for schools to comply with, and face masking within school grounds will be mandatory.