SOME parents are urging schools to shift lessons online or at least allow hybrid classes due to a resurgence of Covid-19 infections in the country, teachers from Chinese schools said.

Parents are divided; some are concerned about the more transmissible Omicron variant since vaccination for children between the ages of five and 11 is still ongoing. Others believe schools are safe as long as the standard operating procedure (SOP) is followed.

Teachers also have differing views, with some saying schools are ready to go online again while others say this would burden teachers, especially in rural areas.

Lim Bee Khim, president of the National Union of Heads of Schools, said some parents have also requested their children be allowed to stay home and study on their own due to the rise in cases.

“The number of pupils in school has dropped. Some contracted the virus, others became close contacts.

“Parents are also opting to keep their children home after vaccination for fear that their child’s immune system is weak,” Lim said.

For the first two months this year, Lim said schools have been focusing on tutoring and reviewing pupils’ homework.

Pupils will soon begin holidays later this month when the 2021 academic year ends, until March 21 when the 2022 session begins.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said recently that Malaysia is under an Omicron wave.

Cases began spiking sharply in the second week of February, and daily infections have been breaching 20,000 since last Friday, even though the vast majority are in the milder Covid-19 categories and do not require hospitalisation.

Lim Mei Qin, principal of SJK(C) Taman Connaught, said she felt conflicted about having physical classes.

She agreed with Khairy’s statement that ending in-person classes was worse for children’s mental health and academic performance, but she was also worried about exposing children to infections in school.

Hybrid learning could be a solution, and Lim hopes the Health and Education Ministries will plan for this.

She said this will help pupils in quarantine and are close contacts with positive cases, given the high infectivity of the Omicron variant.

“I understand the Education Ministry is discouraging hybrid learning (as it wants schools to open), but schools are fully equipped for this.

“Even if we don’t have hybrid classes, parents may just opt to keep their children home and this will ultimately disrupt their studies if there are no online classes.

“We hope the ministry will review the current model of whether it’s safe for children to be in schools.”

Just vaccinate kids, follow SOP

Chew Eng Hok, president of the Headmasters’ Association of Penang Chinese Schools, said he has also received requests from parents for online classes.

“We understand parents’ concerns but currently, the government does not intend to lock down the economy again.

“Working parents will have logistical problems if their children don’t attend in-person classes.”

Chew added that schools have to follow the Education Ministry’s directive not to have online classes, now that face-to-face classes have resumed.

Chew also did not agree that all schools and teachers are equipped to offer hybrid learning.

“If we implement the hybrid model, it will burden the teachers. We have limited ability and equipment.”

He also urged parents to follow Covid-19 prevention rules in the home and workplace so that they do not transmit the virus to their children.

“While there are Covid-19 cases among pupils every now and then, the source of the infection is not the school.

“So long as parents cooperate, there will not be any problems.”

Chew, who is also the principal for SJK(C) Min Sin, said before the 2022 school year starts next month, his school will be sure to remind parents and teachers of the SOP.

Meanwhile, Chua Lay Koh, president of the Chinese School Headmasters Association said self-testing will be a new norm for pupils.

Despite the spike in cases and the Omicron variant, he feels schools can be safe enough with vaccination for children, and with SOP adhered to.

Chua, who is the principal for SJK(C) Kuo Yang 2 said hybrid learning may benefit some regions, but not all.

“In the cities, there will be no issues, but in rural areas, connectivity is not great. It may increase the teacher’s workload.”

Schools in Malaysia were closed for nearly 35 weeks last year due to lockdowns, during which home-based, online classes were the main teaching and learning method.

Following the reopening of schools last month, the number of education clusters has increased, but these are mainly in boarding or residential schools.

The Health Ministry found that SOP breaches occurred outside formal schooling hours, and especially when pupils were in their dormitories. – February 17, 2022.