Since the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in Malaysia, schools have not been able to stay in session for more than half a year. — Bernama picKUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — Parents and educators have urged the Education Ministry to come up with a long term plan to ensure schooling students do not get left behind in their studies.
At the same time, Lim said the government should have already come up with a solution since the pandemic has been ongoing for more than a year now, instead of just taking away standardised examinations — in reference to UPSR abolishment and PT3 cancellation. “I still believe in partial examinations, say, testing the necessary knowledge that is required for them to move up a level or so,” she said.
She said this based on her ground research in both primary and secondary schools in the Klang Valley, where she found that students who are in Standards Three, Four and Five could be at risk of giving up on their studies in school since they no longer need to prepare for UPSR. “He just refused to study and do homework... there was a shock in the student’s psychology,” she said.A music teacher teaches an online piano class during the movement control order in Shah Alam January 24, 2021. — Picture by Miera Zulyana
“Already some families have difficulty accessing the internet, and this does not help their situation. “And the parents at home, they will have to monitor their child and make sure it’s followed through. It has to be a both-way communication,” she said. She also suggested for parents who can afford it, they could send their children from tuition classes, however this was a loss on families who have less income.“Just like in school, principals go around to check on the classes and monitor teachers’ performances, they should do the same for the online classes.
Loh suggested for a system to be worked out between students who can attend classes at school and those who preferred to stay at home.“Some schools can do this, especially the bigger schools, while the smaller schools perhaps the government could support them in terms of infrastructure needed to implement this system,” he said.
“When the teacher is teaching in class, have a webcam in the class so students who opt to stay home are on the same pace as those who opt to go to school.However, she pointed out that teachers needed to be provided with tools as some were utilising their own devices and forking out internet data.“Currently it is based on the teacher’s individual capacity when it should be provided for by the Education Ministry.