SCHOOLS must ensure that teachers and pupils are fully vaccinated and all the necessary precautions taken before allowing physical lessons to resume, parent and teacher groups said.

They said parents are still hesitant about sending their children back to school on October 3 as more than 100 education institution-linked Covid-19 clusters have been reported so far.

Parent Action Group for Education chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said schools should be reopened “but with caution”.

Although a large proportion of teachers have been vaccinated, Noor Azimah urged all teachers to be immunised against Covid-19 before school reopens.

“Teachers who decline to be vaccinated should be made to wear five-ply masks with a face shield in order for both teacher and students to be safe,” she said.

Noor Azimah said it would be wise to study how other countries are doing it, as community transmission in Malaysia is still very high.

“It is a high risk. The World Bank, Unicef and Unesco have a strategy for schools reopening,” she said.

Former National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, said last month that teachers will be vaccinated with at least one dose before school reopens.

As of July 28, 303,682 school teachers (73.5%) had received one dose or were fully vaccinated.

Noor Azimah said it is also important to make vaccination data of teachers and support staff available.

“Teachers and support staff who decline to be vaccinated should be reprimanded as they are a hazard to pupils as they may infect them.

“Make them do the PCR swab tests weekly at their own expense and wear a face shield and two masks at all times.

“Classrooms, school offices and the teachers’ room must also be well ventilated. Overcrowding must be avoided at all times,” she said.

According to the National Security Council’s latest standard operating procedure (SOP), schools in states that are in the second phase of the national recovery plan will be allowed to conduct physical lessons for pupils sitting national and international examinations this year.

However, the date of commencement will be based on the Education Ministry’s (MOE) schedule.

This applies to students who are sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, Sijil Vokasional Malaysia, Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia, Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia and Diploma Vokasional Malaysia exams.

The SOP applies to those who have completed vaccination course in the phase 2 states, namely Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak and Penang.

Meanwhile, the United Chinese School Teachers’ Association chairman Cheah Lek Aee agreed with Noor Azimah that MOE must be transparent with vaccination data of teachers and school staff to alleviate the concerns of parents who may be hesitant to send their children to school.

He stressed that the necessary precautions such as disinfection, thermometers and distribution of masks must be in place.

The ministry should provide schools the funds to do the necessary purchases, he said.

Cheah was previously against the reopening of schools on September 1, given the high number of cases.

However, he now feels that reopening schools is fine as long as the vaccination coverage in the area is sufficient.

“We have also seen an increasing number of cases in many states that are in the second and third phases of the national recovery plan,” he said.

He said the ministry and schools must persuade teachers to get vaccinated, unless the teacher is not eligible for the jab due to health reasons.

National Union of Teaching Profession secretary-general Wang Heng Suan told The Malaysian Insight some school surveys showed most parents were still against the resumption of classes on October 3 as the virus situation has not abated.

“It is understood that nearly 90% of teachers have been vaccinated, or at least with the first dose of the vaccine, but what about school workers and cafeteria employees?” he asked.

Wang said the next step is to focus on vaccinating Form 6 pupils.

“We want pupils to be vaccinated before classes start on October 3,” he said.

Pejuang chairman and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said schools should not be reopened yet as it is not safe to do so until the Covid-19 outbreak is contained.

In a blog post, the Langkawi MP suggested several ways to review teaching methods that are inclusive of modern technology to accommodate pupils learning from home.

The Langkawi lawmaker advocated the use of television as the primary medium to convey lessons to pupils. – August 22, 2021.