Rep: Provide more detailed guidelines, funding to assist schools in re-opening

Violet Yong.

KUCHING (Oct 27): Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong has asked the Ministry of Education (MOE) to provide more comprehensive guidelines and funding to assist schools in their re-opening soon.

Yong said the reopening of schools for in-person learning in the state was expected to resume when the state enters Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan sometime in November.

“The MOE has tightened the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and particularly stressed a lot in their guidelines that all schools must have proper and effective ventilation system in order to give a safe study environment for the students to be back in schools.

“It appears very good on paper but has the MOE taken sufficient steps to help the schools to implement such guidelines?” asked Yong.

Yong said she was of the understanding that MOE had neither provided any specific funding nor given any technical expertise for the schools to improve their ventilation system.

“What was being told to the schools is that all curtains in the classrooms have to be removed for air circulation.  As for the school toilets, many are still not sufficiently ventilated.”

Yong remarked that the guidelines provided by the ministry to all schools were very generic in nature and she opined schools will remain relatively unsafe without proper technical guidance and funding from the ministry.

“Proper ventilation, such as the volume of air to be drawn out of the confined toilet per minute or the size and number of ventilator fans needed to ensure sufficient ventilation is highly technical and our schools need proper assistance on that.”

Without proper technical advice, Yong opined some of the upgrades in schools will not give the desired effect and put the students in danger.

Moreover, Yong said it was equally important for the ministry to make sure the schools have sufficient resources to sanitise the common areas, such as the science laboratories and prayer rooms.

“I urge the MOE to take immediate action to look into the matters seriously and take immediate steps to ensure that the guidelines are in place and effectively implemented,” said Yong.

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