THOSE sitting for public exams will be first to return to classrooms, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

“We will give priority to students sitting for SPM, SVM, STPM and STAM to go back to schools.

“This is to ensure the guidelines on social distancing and personal hygiene can be properly followed,” he said in his Teachers’ Day message today.

He said the standard operating procedures will cover arrivals in school, movement to classrooms, seating arrangements, recess and other matters.

Schools in Malaysia have been closed since the movement control order began on March 18 to stem the spread of Covid-19.

The government will give students a two weeks’ notice before schools reopen.

Following the outbreak, Muhyiddin said government will continue efforts to strengthen online learning.

“As such, I urge teachers to pick up more skills in home-based learning that will become the new normal in the teaching profession.”

Meanwhile, he said he is pleased that Malaysia has got out from the bottom third in international rankings concerning education quality.

“When we first developed the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, Malaysia was in the bottom third of the rankings.

“I’m relieved that we have gotten out of that.”

He said this is shown in improvements in Pisa (Programme for International Student Assessment) tests.

“In 2012, our math students had scored 421 but in 2019, their scores are now 440. For science, our students have improved to 438 (2019) from 420 (in 2012).”

He hopes Malaysia will rise to the top third of the rankings by 2025. – May 16, 2020.