Worry over safety and teachers’ burden still looms

PETALING JAYA: Although guidelines are in place for schools to adhere to, educationists are still worried about students’ safety and health.

Former National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam reminded teachers to supervise canteens and maintain thorough health precautions.

“Parent-teacher associations play a major role as well,” he added.

Years Five and Six pupils, Forms One to Four students, remove class students and Form Six semester one students resumed face-to-face classes yesterday.

Years One to Four pupils will return on July 22.

NUTP secretary-general Harry Tan said its 220,000 members were also concerned over how bigger schools will conduct their lessons and complete their curriculum.

“An overload of work for both students and teachers may arise due to the rotation, including unnecessary paperwork for teachers.

“We hope school administrators, district and state departments will pay adequate attention to this matter,” he said.

Tan is worried that by burdening teachers with paperwork, the core business of educating students will be replaced by form filling.

Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) vice-president Adam Prakash Abdullah commended the pupils in the state, saying their attendance were beyond expectation.

“Attendance was good, and the pupils were happy and excited to be back. They had no problems following the standard operating procedures.”

Education director-general Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim said the SOP for the reopening of schools for other students yesterday included additional specific guidelines.

“This is to explain further several matters for boarding school students, special needs students, and how to handle mosques in schools,” she said during a live telecast on Tuesday.

Education Minister Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin who visited SK Batu Gajah in Tanah Merah, said the reopening of schools yesterday went smoothly, Bernama reported.

The Minister also attended Rosli Abd Aziz’s funeral, a Mathematics teacher who fell to his death from the first-floor balcony of SK Batu Gajah.