Safe to send children back to school, says council
KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu SJK(C) Headmasters Council chairman, Tai Nyit Wun reassured parents that it is safe to send their children back to school next month.
Tai, who is also the headmaster of SJK(C) Chung Hwa Kota Kinabalu, emphasized that schools were complying with the Covid19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) to keep children safe.
The face-to-face school session for preschoolers, Year 1 and 2 pupils will commence on March 1 while Year 3 to 6 pupils would return to school on March 8.
He said schools are ready to welcome the pupils back, whereas teachers have also returned to school to tidy up and prepare for class.
So far, Tai said he has not received response from parents who are concerned about face-toface lessons.
“Maybe parents have gotten used to it,” he said yesterday.
Nevertheless, he said schools were complying with the SOPs, including the one-metre physical distancing between pupils in class.
For SJK(C) Chung Hwa Kota Kinabalu, he said classes are back to morning session only, instead of divided into morning and afternoon sessions previously, as the school has managed to set up extra classrooms.
He said each classroom could accommodate between 43 and 48 pupils.
The school has a total of 2,150 pupils.
“Previously, the one-metre physical distancing referred to the gap between two tables, but now it is one-metre from shoulder to shoulder.
“That’s why we are able to fit all students into the morning session.”
Tai encouraged parents to send their children back to school and assured them the schools are strictly adhering to the SOPs.
Besides, he said some working parents are having difficulty juggling between their jobs and homeschooling their children.
He said officers from the Health Ministry would also conduct inspections and spot checks to ensure safety in schools.
“We will also be briefing parents on the SOPs via Google Meet on Saturday,” he added.