Reopening of schools is safe, parents need not worry - NUTP
The opening of schools nationwide, beginning tomorrow, after being closed for a long time, will create a safe environment and capable of restoring the students’ spirit, said National Union of Teaching Professions of Malaysia (NUTP) secretary-general Wang Heng Suan.
This, he said, was based on the Education Ministry’s 120-page document on Guidelines for School Management and Operation 3.0 which focuses on the cleanliness of the school compound.
The guideline emphasises...
The opening of schools nationwide, beginning tomorrow, after being closed for a long time, will create a safe environment and capable of restoring the students’ spirit, said National Union of Teaching Professions of Malaysia (NUTP) secretary-general Wang Heng Suan.
This, he said, was based on the Education Ministry’s 120-page document on Guidelines for School Management and Operation 3.0 which focuses on the cleanliness of the school compound.
The guideline emphasises the ventilation aspects in classes and the wearing of face masks for all school staff to ensure optimum safety in school compounds.
"These include regular sanitisation of surfaces that are often touched, a path for students to move about, break time and several other daily safety measures, like temperature screening of students, wearing of face masks and observing physical distancing,” he told Bernama.
He said NUTP was confident that the opening of schools in stages was also part of the ministry's way of identifying situations and circumstances in controlling the spread of Covid-19.
Schools will re-open in stages beginning tomorrow, especially for students who will sit for examinations and it involves certain groups of students in states that are in Phase 2 and above of the National Recovery Plan.
The reopening of school sessions will use a weekly student rotation method with the weekly attendance set at 50 percent capacity of classes to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection.
Wang hoped all school administrators and teachers would follow the guidelines provided to ensure compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The guidelines provide complete information and measures that need to be taken to ensure the safety of students, including for school administrators to set up a Covid-19 Committee at the school level, he added.
The guidelines also contain information for teachers or school staff who do not wish to receive the vaccine, whereby they are not allowed to be in the same space as those who have completed the vaccination.
Thus, only teachers and staff who have been vaccinated will be in school and this will create a safer school environment for the students, he added.
As of last Sept 11, a total of 97.5 percent of teachers have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, Anggota Kumpulan Pelaksana (97 percent) and School Liaison Officers (90.6 percent).
Meanwhile, National Parents and Teachers Association (PIBGN) president Mohamad Ali Hasan said with preparations made to ensure a clean school environment and having a majority of teachers and students who have been vaccinated going to school will make the school safer.
He said the guidelines by the ministry covered everything concerning school management, especially during the pandemic and endemic situations.
“It will certainly make the school safe and able to bring back the cheerfulness and enthusiasm of the students to continue to study,” he added.
- Bernama
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