Schools back in session

Education Ministry fixes July 15 for reopening of secondary schools, Primary 5 and 6; others on July 22

PUTRAJAYA: Students in Form 1 to Form 4 and Remove Class as well as pupils in Primary 5 and Primary 6 will return to school on July 15.

Education Minister Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said for pupils in Primary 1 to Primary 4, they will return to school the following week on July 22.

“The reopening dates apply to all government schools, government-aided schools, private schools and educational institutions registered with the Education Ministry (MoE).

“Schools not registered with the MoE are also encouraged to follow according to the dates set,” he said in a special televised press conference yesterday.

He said the reopening of schools for students in nonexamination classes is being implemented in stages a er taking into account the recommendations of the Health Ministry and the National Security Council (NSC).

According to Mohd Radzi, all private educational institutions categorised as centres registered with the MoE, including tuition, language and development centres, could also reopen on July 15.

He also informed that the results on offer of places to Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2019 candidates and entry into Form 6 Semester 1 for year 2020 can be checked starting yesterday, at the MoE portal.

Registration for new student intake will also be on July 15, he added.

Meanwhile, Mohd Radzi said the ministry had implemented online teaching and learning or other appropriate methods for nearly four months, to ensure that lessons continued for over 5.7 million students who could not a end school due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, he said the ministry was aware of weaknesses in implementing online learning as the home-based learning approach was new to teachers, students and parents.

“In addition, many among the students could not participate in online learning due to limited access to communication technology. As a result, homebased learning is not as effective compared to face-to-face interaction.”

Mohd Radzi added that the ministry had taken into consideration the need to restructure the logistics aspect in making arrangements for the SPM 2020 examination, scheduled to start in the first week of January 2021.

He said this would include looking into details on the date for the start of the 2021 school session to ensure that the school year runs smoothly.

“This will be finalised in the school calendar for 2021,” he said.

He added the MoE would have to think of out of the ordinary arrangements to address new situations arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“To make such complex decisions, we need to plan carefully. We need to look for comprehensive long-term and medium-term plans.

“Planning should not be for this year only. This is because the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the education sector cannot be resolved in a short time.

“The priority is to ensure that students have sufficient learning time as they prepare for the following year,” he said. — Bernama

The reopening dates apply to all government schools, governmentaided schools, private schools and educational institutions registered with the Education Ministry.

Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin