KUALA LUMPUR: Face-to-face school sessions resumed in Terengganu, Kelantan and Langkawi today, kicking off the reopening of schools which were shut nationwide for about six months following the spread of COVID-19.
In Terengganu, 35,438 students turned up at their schools while 2,159 students reported for classes in Langkawi.
They included those who will be sitting for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examinations, special needs (MBK) or Integrated Special Education Programme (PPKI) students and pre-school pupils.
Terengganu has moved into Phase Three of the National Recovery Plan (PPN) while Langkawi is under the travel bubble following provisions of Phase 4 of the four-phase PPN.
In Kelantan, which is in Phase Two of PPN, only STPM semester two students, students with special needs at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pendidikan Khas and PPKI students will attend schools.
Tomorrow, face-to-face school sessions will begin in Pahang, Melaka, Selangor, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Perak, Sabah, Perlis, Sarawak and Labuan, with attendance of students according to the PPN phases the states are under.
The reopening of schools in Langkawi involved 25 primary schools with 852 students, including six schools for PPKI and 19 pre-schools.
The rest were 13 secondary schools with 1,306 students, which included five schools for PPKI (140 students), two schools for Form 6 semester two (138 students) and six schools with a rotation system for 1,028 Form Five students.
In Terengganu, it involved 17,193 SPM candidates, and 4,873 STPM students, with 2,166 being students from Semester Two and 2,707 from Semester One.
Apart from this, 2,566 MBK or PPKI students and 10,806 pre-school pupils also reported to schools in the state.
Senior Education Minister Datuk Radzi Jidin took the opportunity to visit Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultan Sulaiman this morning to check on the first day of school reopening, accompanied by Terengganu Education Department director Salim Ab Ghani.
Checks by Bernama found that compliance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) was at a satisfactory level among students, teachers and parents at the schools.
The SOP includes teachers recording attendance and taking body temperatures, the use of hand sanitiser liquid, students following the arrows marked for entry and exit within the school compound, as well as maintaining physical distancing in classrooms.
Students staying at boarding schools and day schools are also required to undergo COVID-19 screening tests to curb the spread of the virus in schools.
Bernama's checks at the Butterworth Vocational School in Penang found that students who returned to the hostel were required to take screening tests using self-test kits, and those found positive would be asked to undergo home quarantine.
Most of the students and parents interviewed said they were looking forward to the reopening of schools tomorrow, and were satisfied with the SOP implementation to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Mohd Aliff Mohd Anas, 17, said he was happy to return to school as he felt that he had attended the home-based Teaching and Learning at Home (PdPR) session for a long time.
"We need to follow the stipulated SOP; we have gone through it (face-to-face session) previously, so this is not a problem, but it is very important to curb the spread of COVID-19. Alhamdullilah, I have received the first dose of the vaccine," he told reporters.
His mother, Siti Anisah Abdul Aziz, 47, said she welcomed the face-to-face schooling session as the SPM examination was coming up soon.
"There is a sense of worry, but when you look at the preparations and SOPs, it seems like a good preparation by the Education Ministry. So this is the time for them to go back to school, and with the students having received their vaccination, it feels safer," she said.
Most of the students met by Bernama at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Raja Sakti in Kota Bharu, Kelantan said they were more confident to return to school today since most of them were fully vaccinated.
Anita Daud, a 47-year-old mother, said she is confident in the capability of the teachers to monitor SOP compliance among students to curb the spread of COVID-19.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Sun Oct 03 2021
Students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Mahsuri near Kuah here checked the temperature before being allowed to enter the school grounds during the survey on the first day of school today. - BERNAMA
Kertas kabinet wujud sektor sukan dibentang dalam tempoh sebulan - Hannah
Hannah berkata dengan data yang lebih menyeluruh melibatkan sektor industri sukan nanti, pihaknya akan mampu merangsang pertumbuhan sukan di negara ini dengan lebih baik.
Tiga Syarikat Semikonduktor umum melabur di Pulau Pinang - Kon Yeow
Tiga syarikat semikonduktor dari China menyatakan komitmen untuk membuat pelaburan baharu di Pulau Pinang.
Pindaan garis panduan lawatan: Sekolah diharap susun semula program - Fadhlina
Semua sekolah diharap dapat menyusun semula program lawatan masing-masing berikutan pindaan Garis Panduan Lawatan Murid Sekolah pada tahun lepas bagi mengukuhkan pembelajaran di luar kelas, kata Menteri Pendidikan, Fadhlina Sidek.
Kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak dijaga sehingga tamat sekolah - KPM
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia akan memastikan kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak 10 pegawai dan anggota Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia yang terkorban dalam nahas helikopter di Lumut, Perak, terus dijaga sehingga mereka tamat persekolahan.
Chegubard ditahan polis berkaitan hantaran mengenai kasino di Forest City
Chegubard ditahan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi di sini berkaitan hantaran mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City pada Sabtu.
Zahid minta pihak dalam BN buka "buku baharu"
Ahmad Zahid menegaskan senario politik tanah air sudah berubah dan terdapat banyak video lama dari parti lawan yang meminta pengundi menyokong DAP.
Malaysia kongsi pengalaman dalam usaha berterusan mempertahan Palestin
Delegasi negara akan berkongsikan peranan Malaysia dalam usaha berterusan mempertahankan nasib Palestin dalam Persidangan Liga Parlimen Al-Quds kelima yang berlangsung di Istanbul, Turki pada Sabtu.
Universiti Malaya mohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia
Jabatan Pengajian Antarabangsa dan Strategik, Universiti Malaya memohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia berhubung kenytaaan tidak bertanggungjawab Profesor Dr Bruce Gilley pada 24 April lalu.
Genting Malaysia nafi terbabit perbincangan
Selepas Berjaya Corporation Bhd dan Kerajaan Negeri Johor, kini Genting Malaysia Bhd pula menafikan sebarang penglibatan dalam perbincangan mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City, Johor.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Sabtu, 27 April 2024.