PUTRAJAYA, 10 June 2020:
All schools nationwide will reopen on June 24 involving students sitting for public examinations and equivalent international examinations, said Senior Minister (Education) Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin.
He said it involved students sitting for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Sijil Vokasional Malaysia (SVM), Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan (STPM) and Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) as well as equivalent international examinations.
He said the School Reopening Management Guidelines had been distributed to schools on June 4 as a guide so that detailed preparations are carried out before reopening.
“We hope parents and guardians would ensure their children are in good health before sending them back to schools.
“Apart from students, body temperature screening would also carried out on teachers and individuals with dealings in schools. An individual with body temperature exceeding 37.5⁰C or is having symptoms would not be allowed into the school compound.”
Speaking at a special media conference on the opening of schools here, Mohd Radzi explained that tables in the classroom should be arranged at a distance of one metre apart and there should not be more than 20 students in a classroom.
The Senior Minister however said the capacity is higher for bigger premises such as a hall.
“Intervals would also be staggered in stages with packed food and drink prepared and pupils would be eating in the classroom under the supervision of teachers.”
The Senior Minister also encouraged parents or guardians to prepare food for their children to bring to school.
Mohd Radzi said outdoor activities such as sports and co-curriculum which involved face-to-face meeting as well as school assembly would not be conducted until a date to be determined latter.
For residential schools, he said only students sitting for public examinations would be allowed in the hostel.
“The beds have been arranged one metre apart and the number of beds in each room would depend on the available space, besides having staggered dinner time according to the number of students.”
He also reminded that the guidelines would be improved from time to time based on the advice of the Health Ministry.
The reopening of schools on June 24 involved 500,444 examination class students in 2,440 schools throughout the country.
He said spot checks will be carried out on schools to ensure their level of preparedness and compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) ahead of their reopening on June 24.
He said the ministry, together with the state education departments and district education offices, would carry out the spot checks over the next two weeks, but insisted that the aim was not to punish the schools.
“If there are schools not complying with the SOP, we have two weeks to make improvements… if there are weaknesses in the SOP of any of the schools, we will go and see how we can assist them.”
He said schools would constantly sanitise items which students usually touch, like door knobs, to ensure cleanliness while temperature checks would be carried out on everyone entering the school grounds.
He said that students who were not well and showed symptoms would be taken to an isolation room and their parents would be contacted before the District Health Centre is notified.
Mohd Radzi also said that the school sessions would be carried out in stages and the times would be announced soon.
“We are worried that if the parents themselves decide to send their children to schools in the morning and we do not do it in stages, then there would be congestion at the schools.
For other levels, the Ministry of Education (MoE) is optimistic that schools will have enough time to complete the syllabus for this year.
Mohd Radzi said the government would restructure the school schedule this year. “MoE would like to assess the situation after schools reopen before finalising on the new school term.”
On June 24, je said all secondary and primary school teachers will return to school to conduct online learning and teaching using school facilities.
“By returning to school, teachers can use various facilities including the internet, photocopying and printing machines.”
He said teachers could provide weekly study and exercise materials in schools before asking their parents to collect them.
On the use of face masks among students at school, he said there was no objection to parents providing them for their children.
“As mentioned in MoE’s guidelines, teachers will provide face masks when students are in school or have symptoms.”
– Bernama