PARENTS and educators have welcomed the Education Ministry’s move to extend this year’s academic year to March next year. 

Usually, the academic year would end by the year’s end. 

However, the extension was made to give students sufficient time to finish their syllabus, which had been interrupted by school closures due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Educators, especially those who run kindergartens, said the extension would allow them to introduce group activities to their young charges.

Malaysian Kindergarten Teachers Association president Sally Ng told The Malaysian Insight that home-based teaching and learning is insufficient, adding that it is advisable for students to attend physical classes. 

“Children can now go back to school with the extension and teachers now can take lessons that were not taught online before.

“The teachers can take time to complete the syllabus without rushing,” she said.

She said kindergarten lessons via online only focused on reading and writing, which reduces group activities.

“But now teachers can include lessons that cannot be taught via online classes and as there will be two more months of physical learning time,” she said.

She said that the extension of the academic year will not affect any students because the ministry has revised the academic calendar year for kindergartens to primary and secondary schools.

“At most, it will slightly affect the new students who are preparing to enter kindergarten next year. They must delay their admission until March. 

“However, if the kindergarten that parents enrol their children into is large and has enough space and teachers to follow the standard operating procedure, I believe they would be able to accept new students early,” Sally added.

Zhong Hua Language Education Loving Parents Network Association (Jia Zong) chairman Ronnie Wong also agreed with the decision made by the Education Ministry.

However, the extension may have some impact on form five students plan to go abroad for further studies next year, he said.

“SPM students who are graduating soon and need to go abroad to further studies may face the problem of delay in enrolling in university after the schooling term is extended, but the rest of the students should not be affected,” Wong said.

He pointed out that, as a parent, he believes in every decision made by the ministry but at the same time hopes that they can assure that the vaccination plan for teenagers goes smoothly.

“In fact, many parents want to send their children to school. After all, physical and online lessons are different. 

“However, since young people under the age of 17 just started (receiving) the vaccine, will there be sufficient time (before physical classes resume)? This is something the ministry must focus on,” he said. 

Union supports resumption of classes

Meanwhile, the secretary-general of the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) Wang Heng Suan said that the union supports the ministry’s measures to resume physical classes next month.

He pointed out that the ministry has drafted a number of measures to safeguard the safety of the students and to avoid issues from arising when schools reopen again.

“NUTP was previously invited to meet and discuss relevant measures with the Education Minister, local organisations, principals, and parents. So, this is a decision made by all parties involved,” he said.

On September 12, Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin announced that the 2021 school year will be extended to March 2022.

“Students will remain in their respective classes (in 2021) until January and February 2022, before moving into the next class in March.

“I give an example, if a child is in standard 6, he or she will remain in standard 6 until Feb 2022 before entering high school in March 2022,” Radzi explained.

He said that the purpose of extending the semester was to identify whether students have mastered the grade syllabus, adding that any lack of understanding can be strengthened during the extension period.

He added that with the extension, school admissions for pupils entering their first grade in 2022 will also be delayed.

Reopening of schools

Radzi announced on September 12 that schools in states under phases three and four of the national recovery plan will reopen for physical classes in stages starting October 3.

Attendance is limited to 50% capacity and will be on a rotation basis – pupils will be divided into two groups and will take turns to attend physical classes. 

“For example, if there are 36 students in class 5A, they will be divided into two groups. Group A and group B will each have 18 students each.

“In the first week, group A will go back to school, and group B will have online classes at home. The two groups will take turns to go to school,” he said.

Perlis, Negri Sembilan, and Sarawak are in phase three, whereas Labuan is the only territory in phase four.

However, the rotation system will not apply to special needs pupils, form six and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme students in their second semester, boarding school pupils, preschoolers aged four to six, students sitting for international examinations, and schools with low enrolment rate (fewer than 150 pupils), Radzi said.

Meanwhile, schools in phase one and two states will remain closed, with the exception of students in phase two states who are sitting for major examinations. 

Phase one states are Kedah and Johor, whereas phase two states and territories are Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Penang, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Malacca, and Sabah. – September 15, 2021.