Guidelines on reopening schools to be distributed Thursday (June 4), says Education Minister

KAJANG (Bernama): The school reopening management guidelines will be distributed Thursday (June 4) to allow schools and teachers to make appropriate preparations, says Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin.

The Education Minister said detailed guidelines for the movement of students in the school compound, from the time they arrive until they leave for home, were formulated in collaboration with the Health Ministry and the National Security Council (MKN).

"We issued these guidelines to see which methods need to be done in the context of school reopening and proper preparations to ensure that whenever we announce the date, they will be ready.

"The ministry has always discussed room for improvement with the schools... what important is for everyone to play a role in the management of the school, teachers and parents, for example, if the child has symptoms then the child should stay at home, ” he said.

Mohd Radzi said this to Bernama after a visit to see the preparations for school reopening at SMK Engku Husain in Semenyih Tuesday (June 2).

Also present were Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, MKN director-general Mohd Rabin Basir and Education director-general Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim.

Mohd Radzi said the state Education department and district Education offices would play an important role in monitoring schools to ensure compliance with the guidelines.

"I will also stop by at schools to see the implementation of the guidelines and we are confident that the school management and teachers will assist the ministry in implementing these guidelines, ” he said.

Meanwhile, he said parents should not worry about sending their children to school, but they should play a part in educating their children to regularly practice social distancing.

Asked on a date for school sessions to reopen, he stressed that there was no set date yet and he worked closely with the Health Ministry and MKN to decide on the matter.

"Once the Health Ministry and MKN feel it is time to reopen the school, then we will make an announcement two weeks prior to that date. Thus far, we have yet to set a date for school reopening, ” he said.

He said the move would only involve Form Five and Six students in nearly 3,000 secondary schools nationwide. - Bernama