Teacher union not optimistic about schools’ gradual reopening beginning September

Adam Prakash Abdullah

KUCHING (July 19): The Sarawak Teachers Union (STU) is not optimistic about schools reopening in stages beginning this Sept 1, in view of the current Covid-19 situation.

In stating this, STU president Adam Prakash Abdullah said it would be possible for the home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) to be further extended beyond Aug 31.

Nonetheless, he opined that the Ministry of Education (MoE) should have at least allowed students set to sit for public examinations this year to resume the physical classes first.

“The teachers have planned and prepared their lessons carefully to ensure effective teaching and learning. The teachers for the public examination classes have all strategies in place once their students come back, and get them to prepare for the examinations,” he said in response to the announcement by the MoE on Saturday about schools nationwide set for reopening for physical classes in stages, beginning this Sept 1.

Adam said the STU had hoped for a concrete plan for schools to reopen after taking all the precautions and necessary steps to ensure that the school environment, the students and the teachers would be safe to continue teaching and undergoing face-to-face learning.

On the vaccination process for teachers, he said it had been going on very well.

“It has been mentioned that about 61 per cent of teachers have been vaccinated.

“Probably, it would be good for the MoE to discuss with the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin to initiate a special plan to carry out mobile vaccination at schools.

“These mobile vaccination units should visit all schools to inoculate the teachers so that they would also have some protection against the coronavirus upon coming back to schools,” he said.

Adam also appealed to the MoE to allow all candidates meant for this year’s Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examinations to be given the Covid-19 vaccines – if they were medically fit for vaccination.

Schools in Sarawak are supposed to reopen this July 26, but the MoE had, on Saturday, announced that the PdPR would continue to run until Aug 31.

The announcement would apply to all government schools, government-aided schools, private schools and educational institutions registered with the MoE.

However, this ruling is subject to changes depending on the latest risk assessments by the Ministry of Health and National Security Council.

The MoE said it would inform further details on the reopening of schools for face-to-face learning at least one week prior.

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