Pei Xin having an online lesson at her home in George Town.
STAYING home for online learning may not be ideal but many schoolchildren in Penang have come to terms with the arrangement during the conditional movement control order (MCO) period.
S. Vanishya, 10, felt she could communicate better with her teachers during online lessons.
“I can message them privately, ” she said.
“Also, I do not have to wake up early, get dressed and rush to school when studying at home.
“I can have extra time in the morning.”
However, Vanishya said the online sessions tended to lag.
Pei Xin keeping busy by doing housework.
“I do miss co-curriculum activities at school but for now, I play with my dog to keep myself active, ” she said.
School prefect Lim Pei Xin, 10, said she enjoyed being at school as she could mingle with her schoolmates.
She, however, understood the need to study at home.
“Other than online studies, I also keep myself busy learning new recipes and playing online games with friends, ” she said.
Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced recently that schools and daycare centres would be closed with the imposition of a conditional MCO until Dec 6 in all states in peninsular Malaysia except for Kelantan, Perlis and Pahang.
He said the decision was made after the Health Ministry found that there had been a significant increase in Covid-19 cases as well as the rate of infections in Kedah, Penang, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor and Terengganu.
Lim’s mother Ooi Su Ching, 39, said she made her children try out new recipes each day as a way to keep them active and busy at home.
“Besides cooking, I have also been teaching them to do housework, ” said the hands-on mother who operates several boutiques.
Teacher Latifah Zainal, 59, said it was a big challenge adapting to teaching online.
“When we first started holding online classes earlier this year, it was difficult and I needed help adjusting to the new norm.
“A former student was kind enough to teach me the ropes but it is still difficult for me now, especially as I am of the older generation, ” she said.
Latifah, who teaches English to Form Six students, said marking homework on the computer was the most difficult as it was stressful on the eyes.
“I had to mark so many copies on the computer that in the end, I decided to print them out and mark them.
“It is not cost-effective as the printing cost comes from my own pocket.
“However, this is my only alternative as I am worried that my eyesight will go bad, ” she said.
Pei Xin and her brother Min Yi, eight, exercising at home. They also stay active by trying out new recipes every day with their mother’s help.
Latifah said another problem she and her students had was getting a good Internet connection.
“Many of my students do not have proper Internet connection or gadgets to access online lessons, ” said Latifah.
“The electronic devices are too expensive for them.
“The connection also tends to lag and sometimes the Internet is slow.”
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