Schools in Brunei record 91.5 per cent attendance in first week

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Borneo Bulletin/ANN): The first week saw a 91.5 per cent attendance for face-to-face teaching and learning since schools reopened on June 2.

This was stated by Minister of Education Dato Seri Setia Awang Hamzah Sulaiman (pic) at the daily press conference on Friday (June 5).

“It shows the commitment and trust on the part of the parents and guardians in sending their children to school, even while the country is coping with the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, ” he said.

Face-to-face teaching and learning resumed for the second school term on June 2 for all primary and secondary schools, colleges, sixth-form centres, vocational schools and the Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) under the Ministry of Education (MoE); schools under the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA); and private schools.

Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah said the first phase involves 23,103 students who will sit for public exams, which constitutes 25.5 per cent of the total number of students in Brunei Darussalam, for schools under the MoE and MoRA.

“In ensuring the well-being of the students and school staff, schools always emphasise social distancing, as well as personal hygiene and the cleanliness of school premises.

“Besides that, our ministry also carries out continuous monitoring using online reporting. The results of the preliminary monitoring have shown that school staff and students are committed towards adhering to the guidelines provided by their schools in ensuring their well-being, safety and health in preventing the spread of Covid-19.

“Meanwhile, all schools under the MoE and MoRA have also activated QR codes as advised by the Ministry of Health (MoH). The use of QR codes will aid schools in monitoring the health of teachers and staff in schools, as well as divide them into the vulnerable and non-vulnerable categories.

“Those categorised as vulnerable are under the discretion of their school leader to set up the teacher’s lesson schedule, in ensuring the well-being of teachers and staff.”

The minister added that the MoE and MoRA will carry out regular monitoring to ensure the efficiency in the implementation of the learning and teaching sessions.

In another development, tuition and music schools in the Sultanate resume operations today, but only for one-on-one classes.

Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Mohd Isham Jaafar announced this at the daily press conference.

“The Ministry of Health (MoH) would like to inform the public on the additional reduction to social distancing measures (implemented following the Covid-19 outbreak), this time involving tuition and music schools. At this time, only one-on-one classes are allowed. The additional reduction of this social distancing measures commences today, ” he said.

He added that no new virus case was recorded in Brunei on Friday, maintaining the national tally at 141.

The total number of recovered patients remains at 138. Only one patient, who is still in critical condition remains under treatment at the National Isolation Centre (NIC) in Tutong.

In the past 24 hours, a total of 414 samples have been tested for the Covid-19, that brings the total number of laboratory tests conducted since January 2020 to 20,619 tests. - The Borneo Bulletin/Asian News Network