PARENTS have told the government not to heed any calls for school holidays to be cancelled to allow students time to catch up with their studies.

Instead, it should consider reducing the number of school breaks, the parents told The Malaysian Insight in response to a proposal by Malaysian Parents’ Consensus (Mimbar) for the Education Ministry to terminate all school holidays this year.

They added that school holidays were necessary to safeguard their children and teachers’ wellbeing.

Mimbar president Seri Ismalina Ismail told Astro Awani that parents have requested holidays be cancelled so their children can catch up on studies after a year of upheaval due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Malacca Action Group for Parents in Education chairman Mak Chee Kin said students have indeed been in holiday mode for way too long.

“However, after weeks of school, they will still need a short break. As such, I would suggest shorter holidays instead.

“Do away with the March 26-April 3 holidays since schools have or will just begin. Shorten the May 28-June 6 holidays to end June 4.

“Also shorten the September 19-30 holidays to end on September 24.”

Mak suggested the July 16-July 24 break, as well as the December 10-31 break to remain.

“To abolish all school holidays will be extreme as teachers need their private time for rest,” said Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim.

“Yet there should be some sacrifices over the minor school holidays or to reduce the term holidays.”

The extra time is to allow students to backtrack and learn again what was not thoroughly covered in the past, she said.

In addition, she said that time will also lift the burden off parents, who have been juggling their own time to help their children’s studies.

“Parents need to focus on work, so bills can be paid and food gets put on the table.”

Albert Chong Yew Yee, a parent of children aged 16, 15 and 10, also agreed on the cutting down of school breaks.

“Not all students have the same discipline when it comes to studying without supervision.

“Some may be skipping classes, pretending to attend but playing games by switching off the camera.”

He said some working parents need a longer “me time” away from their children who have been in the house all day, every day since lockdown.

“The children also need a longer period to adjust to social interaction at school after being confined for so long.”

Samantha Yeoh, parenting coach and mother of children aged four, five, and seven said she will be “mortified” if the government takes away all school holidays for the younger students.

“Currently, the primary students back in school are stuck in their desk and seats unless they need to go to the toilet. Even during recess time, the food is brought to them.

“Their social interaction is already limited now, and that part of the fun has already been taken away.”

She also reminded anxious parents that success was not just being academically sound.

“I do notice that for example, parents of Standard Two kids are worried that their child learnt nothing the past year.

“There is some sort of pressure with the perception and mindset  their kids need to be better than the kids in Standard One now.

“Kids missing one or two years of studies are actually fine, they can pick up easily and quickly too.”

She said it was important for children to look forward to the school holidays.

“It’s like a part of life, it’s not like they learn nothing from those experiences too,” Yeoh said.

Teachers, not robots

On the other hand, teachers in general disagreed with the proposal to cut the school holidays at all.

An hour following the news, the National Union of the Teaching Profession posted on its Facebook page: “Do they think teachers in Malaysia are robots and don’t need rest?

“PdPR (home-based teaching and learning classes) doesn’t mean that the teachers are on holiday, teachers were working during PdPR.”

A secondary school teacher in Johor, who requested anonymity, told The Malaysian Insight that some parents panicked because their children were not attending the PdPR classes.

He said the new syllabus, the PdPc (teaching and facilitating approach classes), will greatly help the students to catch up on their studies.

“To my knowledge, the school calendar made by the Education Ministry has already taken into account all the factors,” the teacher said.

“Every year, we will finish the school syllabus by October, and the school term for this year has already extended to December.

“Moreover, the examination board has not determined the date for SPM examinations yet.”

Anton Taren Singh Sidhu, 17, an SPM candidate from SMK Kota Kemuning, said he believed in the teacher’s scheduling.

“School is opening on April 4, as long as the teachers and students have things planned out well, it will be ok in the end.”

He said to lean further on effectiveness; for example, teachers and students should aim to reduce wasted time during classes.

“Parents might feel that the more time we have with books or school is better for us.

“They hope we can finish the syllabus earlier and have more time for revision. They are not wrong at all, but to say no holidays till the end of the year is too much.

“To me, school holidays are a time to unwind. I would like for time like that as compared to just mugging on the books till SPM.”

Another SPM candidate, Mandy Goh Ming Yi from SMK Subang Jaya SS14, said for once, she wants to go back to school and study during the holidays.

“I am actually falling behind a lot. I can’t focus or understand during online classes. Sometimes, I fell asleep and nobody knew.

“Our teachers would just give us homework but most of us haven’t even understood chapter one in every subject.

“I have been having anxiety because SPM is very important to me, just the thought of failing puts me in depression.”

Goh said her peers agreed with her in wanting more time with their teachers.

Andra Huong Yi Lin, also an SPM student from SMK Bandar Seri Putra said she was on the fence about the issue.

“My mother agrees with abolishing school holidays and is particularly concerned about my studies, she even enrolled me for online tuition.”

“If the school continues, I will probably go out in the evening for a walk or chill for a while. Of course, I will not study 24/7.”

Primary school pupils in Malaysia have returned to physical classes earlier on March 1, while the secondary school students will start their in-person learning early next month. – March 15, 2021.