Sabah students say ready to return to schools after 3-month Covid-19 closure

KOTA KINABALU: After about three months of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, several Form Five students from the rural and remote areas of Sabah are ready to return to their respective schools today.

A Form Five student of SMK Nabawan II, Sherrylyana Pinikit said she was prepared mentally and physically besides ensuring she was in optimum health.

“With the school reopening, I can directly consult my teachers if I do not understand a topic or subject as explanation via online learning is sometimes interrupted due to unstable Internet connection, besides there is trouble uploading multiple assignments on the phone.

"Hence, after this I can focus on my lessons and prepare myself for the upcoming SPM examination,” she said when contacted by Bernama here yesterday.

According to her, the school has also made a simulation video to showcase standard operating procedures (SOP) in the new normal including social distancing practices that have been uploaded on YouTube as a guide for students.

A Form Five student from SMK Gadong, Beaufort, Md Aidil Azim said it was time to refresh subjects that were difficult to understand via online learning during the Movement Control Order (MCO).

Another Form Five student, Najwa Hasan, from SMK Pekan

Kuala Penyu, said she was glad school was reopening because it would be easy for her to hold discussions with teachers, not to mention that her preparation for the SPM was still not enough.

Meanwhile in SEREMBAN, 20,954 Form Five and Six students, including boarding schools across Negeri Sembilan comprising 124 schools, will start the school session today, said State Education director Md Fiah Md Jamin.

Meanwhile in SARAWAK,

Sarawak Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Datuk Seri Michael Manyin Jawong said he was satisfied with the preparations made to ensure that the learning process for the students would go smoothly, he told reporters here today.

Meanwhile, in Hulu Baram, among the rural areas of the state, more than 100 students will start their school session today at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Long Lama and SMK Datuk Temenggong

Oyong Lawai Jau in Long San.

Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau said a number of teachers at both schools had also undergone quarantine for the past two weeks in Miri and tested negative for COVID-19 and have been allowed to return to work.

“The bad weather in Baram has made the logging roads in the area a little slippery and I ask parents sending their children back to school to be more careful while driving,” he said. - Bernama