LIMITED classroom space and teacher shortages are among the top concerns for parents as classes for all pupils resume on July 15 after a week-long trial run with form five and upper six pupils.

The one-week reopening involved more than half a million pupils and revealed problems in schools with large populations, especially those in cities.

Schools with populations of more than 1,500 pupils will find it hard to accommodate the numbers and still implement new physical-distancing rules that have been set by the Education Ministry, said parent-teacher associations.

There are also concerns that some instructors will have to shoulder extra classes due to the split in their sizes, said Mohd Kameel Abdul Karim, who heads the Negri Sembilan chapter of the National Parent-Community Action Group (KPIBKK).

Kameel told The Malaysian Insight there will be a greater need to help schools find extra funds for hand sanitisers, thermometers and masks.

The national teachers’ union, however, is confident that administrators will have enough leeway to organise classes and teachers to suit their institution’s physical limitations.

“What the ministry has set is something the NUTP drew up as part of the new standard operating procedures for schools in order to minimise physical contact,” said National Union of the Teaching Profession president Amiruddin Awang.

School heads will be able to choose how to split classes according to three different models that are based on their pupil populations.

“We trust that administrators and teachers are wise enough to come up with their own rotation systems and schedules that will ensure that there are enough teachers and classrooms to go around,” Amiruddin said.

Another concern is how to discipline pupils outside of schools when they are either walking home or waiting for buses, said Romeli Ismail, a former secondary school principal.

“Parents are not too worried about the older children because they are more mature but it’s the younger ones, such as form one to three and primary school who may ignore the SOP,” said Romeli, who heads Terengganu’s KPIBKK.

“In schools, the SOPs are repeated every hour over the PA system. Once they are outside school, they start hugging and playing with their friends.

“There is also no SOP for school buses and everyone is crammed together. Then there are the hawkers outside schools and pupils will typically crowd around them.

“These are the concerns because schools can only supervise your children when they are in the compound,” Romeli said.

Support services

Form five and upper six pupils, who are taking public examinations next year, were allowed to return to school on June 24 as part of a phased reopening of all schools.

Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said lower six, remove classes, form one to four, and primary five and six will be allowed to resume on July 15.

Classes for primary one to four will resume on July 22, some three months after schools were closed as Malaysia battled the coronavirus, which has to date infected 8,640.

The SOP include:

* pupils and all staff must undergo temperature checks before being allowed into the premises.

* desks must be placed 1m apart and classes be limited to 20 pupils.

* recess times are staggered and meals are eaten in class instead of the canteen.

Due to the fact that class sizes have to be capped, pupils have to be broken up into smaller groups and placed in different rooms, said the two KPIBKK heads.

To fit enough pupils in their classes, school heads are allowed to either add in an extra afternoon session or rotate the cohorts on a weekly basis.

Schools in the third category will see form five and six pupils attending classes daily but those in form one to four will take turns attending class.

“This rotation system is something new to us and we are not sure how it will work out,” said Negri Sembilan’s KPIBKK head Kameel.

“Some schools, especially in cities have between 1,500 and 2,000 pupils, but have a limited number of classes. So how do you actually rotate everyone and ensure that there are enough teachers?”

These new rules will also stress support services, such as bus and canteen operators, said Kameel as the KPIBKK has to also look out for their interests.

“They have to be able to make enough to keep operating as parents rely on them, too. These things have to be taken into account if we are to reopen fully.” – July 2, 2020.