The method of student attendance on a weekly rotation basis will be implemented for the reopening of the school session this year until February 2022.
The attendance capacity is set at 50% of the overall total in order to limit the number of students in class as well as to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Senior Minister of Education, Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin, said the measure is for management of the students and teachers to ensure that all students comply with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
“With the rotation, students will be divided into two groups and class capacity will be limited to 50 percent,” he said at a press conference on the operation of the schools.
However, six categories of students are exempted from rotation in all phases of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).
They are Students with Special Needs (MBK) in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pendidikan Khas (SMKPK), Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas Vokasional (SMPKV), Sekolah Kebangsaan Pendidikan Khas (SKPK) and Program Pendidikan Khas Integrasi (PPKI).
Also listed are Form Six students in semester 2 and students in year 2 of the International Baccalaureate®️ Diploma (IBD), as well as boarding school (berasrama penuh) students, international examination students, preschool students, private kindergartens and mind development centers (4-6 years old).
Schools with fewer students, for instance, under 150 people, are also excluded from rotation.
Radzi said the school session for this year will be extended until February next year to enable the Ministry of Education (MOE) to ensure that all students, especially those who are left behind, are ready to enter the next class.
He said the extension meant all students would remain in their respective standard and form in January and February next year, before being allowed to move up to the next level starting March 2022.
“For face-to-face school sessions, it will remain implemented from October 3 to March next year in accordance with the phases in the National Recovery Plan (NRP) and will be carried out in rotation.
“All schools in the Phase One states of Kedah and Johor will remain closed for now, so all students in the two states will continue teaching and learning sessions at home (PdPR),” he explained.
For states in Phase Two of the NRP, all educational institutions are closed and PdPR sessions will be implemented but only examination classes can return to school.
In Phase Three, all educational institutions are opened in stages subject to the arrangement of the Ministry of Education and risk assessment while in Phase Four, all educational institutions will be fully opened subject to the current risk assessment.
For schools that are included in the Tourism Bubble Programme such as Langkawi, all schools will be opened according to Phase Four of the NRP, although Kedah is currently in Phase One.
Rosli Mansor
=============================
Get your local news fast. Download the Ipoh Echo App on your mobile. Available on both Google Playstore and Apple Appstore.
