Ministry guidelines to ease load on heavy schoolbags
PUTRAJAYA: By next year, schools will need to adhere to the Education Ministry’s guidelines that will tackle the problem of heavy schoolbags, especially those carried by children in primary schools, says minister Dr Maszlee Malik.
He said from 2019, schools would have to follow a ministry circular on the matter.
According to the guidelines, teachers will need to stick to their lesson plans and give clear instructions to their pupils on what to bring for their classes.
“Schools must also have only three to four subjects per day.
“All teaching and learning activities must be completed within class hours,” he told reporters yesterday.
Dr Maszlee said the guidelines were created after a study last year.
It revealed that only 28% of the bags’ weight is due to the required textbooks and workbooks.
The rest is due to stationery, additional workbooks, co-curriculum attire, food and drinks, gadgets and toys, he added.
Last year, the then deputy education minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon warned that action would be taken against schools that did not comply with a ministry circular in 2000 regarding the usage of workbooks in primary schools, which ordered a reduction in pupils’ exercise books.
On a separate matter, Dr Maszlee said an additional 1,000 places in the matriculation programme have been created for Chinese students in the B40 group.
B40 refers to the bottom 40% of households with a monthly income of RM3,900 and below.
“Although we try to ensure all deserving students get a place in the matriculation programme, I acknowledge that there are complaints from non-bumiputra students of not getting a place in the programme,” he said before handing out offer letters to matriculation students.
The decision to provide these additional seats, which do not affect the current seat numbers in the programme, was decided at the Cabinet meeting on May 30.
“There were 4,068 non-bumiputra students offered places at the matriculation colleges for the 2018/2019 intake,” he said.
The additional 700 spaces allocated for Indian students by the previous government remain, he added.
On another matter, Dr Maszlee said that all Chinese schools would be asked to stop holding paid computer classes during school hours.
“Paid computer classes can still be conducted as part of co-curriculum activities outside school hours and on a voluntary basis.”
He said that a letter issued by Chong on allowing third parties to conduct these lessons is now null and void.
Dr Maszlee said he received complaints from parents from Chinese schools that they were forced to pay fees for computer classes that were conducted by outside parties.