Back to the old-school way

All in order: SJK(C) Pandamaran A pupils attending school in Port Klang. — KK SHAM/The Star

PETALING JAYA: After adjusting to various modes of learning over the last two years, students nationwide will continue their 2022/2023 schooling session without the rotation system.

The rotation system was lifted for all primary schools on Sunday while secondary students returned without the rotation system from April 4.

Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin said in a post on his Facebook page on Sunday that this involved 5.07 million students, of which 2.96 million were primary school pupils and 2.1 million were secondary school students.

SK Desa Pandan Parent Teacher Association (PTA) committee member Norshira Abdul Jalil said her three children were ecstatic to see their friends again who were initially separated because of the rotation model.

“The pupils followed the standard operating procedure and every-thing was done systematically.

“We opened all three gates for flow of movement and at each gate, sanitisers were kept ready.

“There weren’t problems in ensuring tables in the classrooms were spaced out either with teachers giving up their tables to make space for the children,” she added.

Norshira has three children in Years Three, Five and Six studying in the school.

Each class has 30 pupils, she said, adding that they were able to accommodate physical distancing in the classrooms as the teachers did not want their pupils to study in a cramped room.

SJK(C) Kepong 1 PTA committee member and father-of-two Fong Yit Meng said the environment in his sons’ school was organised and normal.

“The children and parents have been following the SOP since the pandemic started.

“So although more pupils returned to school today, the situation was calm and as normal as any other day.

“Parents, too, follow a staggered timing to pick their children up so there is no overcrowding outside the school gate,” said Fong, whose Years Three and One sons study in the school.

National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Wang Heng Suan said pupils and students were all accustomed to the SOP.

The NUTP, however, hoped that the ministry would allow students to eat in the canteen during recess now that they were all back in school.

“It is hard for canteen operators to cope with cooking and delivering food to all the classes.

“We also request the ministry do away with taking students’ temperature at the school entrance as well as putting curtains back in classrooms as it gets too hot on some days,” he added.

During an event with the Kelantan State Education Department last Friday, Radzi said the ministry would unveil the School Manage-ment and Operation Guidelines 4.0 soon.