Students’ mastery of subjects assured

The Education Ministry will ensure school students’ minimum mastery of their subjects before they advance classes next year.

Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin said the matter was among issues discussed with the parent-teacher associations (PTA) here yesterday.

“We discussed how to ensure students complete a curriculum within the stipulated period.

“For example, (getting) Year One pupils (to be) ready for Year Two,” he told reporters after attending a Malaysia Prihatin programme with PTAs at the Civic Hall here.

Radzi said the ministry would continue to organise such meetings to provide clarifications and views on current issues.

Perlis Parents, Community and Private Sector’s Involvement Movement chairman Associate

Prof Dr Abdul Jalil Ramli suggested that a special module be created by the ministry to aid parents in educating their children at home.

“If we look at the consequences of Covid-19, Year One pupils followed face-to-face learning sessions only for three months.

“Some of them entered Year Two when they have yet to master the 3M (reading, writing and counting) skills.”

He said the module would help parents to teach their children at home, especially Year One and Year Two pupils.

“Priority should be given to Year One and Year Two pupils as they need to master these basic skills to ensure that they are not left behind in lessons,” he added.

Jalil said most pupils who could not master the 3M skills were from low-income families, who lacked Internet access and devices to participate in the home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) classes.

Earlier, Radzi also said that the closure of schools due to Covid-19 cases would only be done upon advice by the district Health office.

“Schools where positive Covid19 cases have been detected will be closed only after a risk analysis and assessment is conducted,” he added.

The minister said the district Health offices would be able to gauge the situation better after carrying out an in-depth analysis of the risk of Covid-19 transmission in the area.

“In this context, if the district Health office decides that a certain class must be closed, then we will close that class.

“Likewise, should they say a certain floor of the building needs to be closed then we will close that floor,” Radzi said.