School’s out, but no plans

Jumping for joy: SK Pokok Sena students in Tasek Gelugor leaving the school to start their end-of-year ­holidays yesterday. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

KEPALA BATAS: The school holidays are here but for some children, there may not be a family vacation during the month-long break.

Most parents are not making holiday plans due to work commitments, and some due to having just gone on long leave during the festive break between Christmas and Chinese New Year.

Delivery rider Ahmad Aswad Ghazali, 34, said he did not think it was a good idea to apply for leave at the beginning of the year.

“The start of the year is normally a busy period for me.

“We won’t be going anywhere. The school holidays will be a time for my son to rest and prepare for the new school term in March.

“Maybe a weekend getaway to a neighbouring state like Kedah or Perlis, that’s what I’d do.

“Other than that, there won’t be any major holiday plans for this break,” he said.

Asked if the beginning of the school year should be reverted to January, Ahmad said any changes should not hamper the children’s learning development in school.

“It has to be made in stages so that working parents like me can plan ahead,” he said.

Lecturer Rodziah Ibrahim, 41, said her three children aged between nine and 13 would stay with their grandfather in Sitiawan, Perak, during the school break.

“My three children will go to Sitiawan to accompany my father there. Their aunts and uncles are also there.

“Any holiday plans will be put on hold for now as I still need to conduct classes and can’t afford to take leave during the first two weeks of the school holidays,” she said.

Rodziah said they might check into a beach resort in the third or last week of the school holidays.

“Things will be easier for us if the new school term begins in January again,” she said.

The Education Ministry had planned to revert the start of the school session to January from this year by gradually shortening school holidays from 2023 until 2026.

However, some parents were not too supportive of the plan.

The ministry then decided to postpone it, citing that it had taken into account the welfare of teachers and students as well as the impact on the national economy.

The academic calendar for the 2023/2024 session will run from March 19, 2023, to March 9, 2024 for Group A; and March 20, 2023, to March 10, 2024, for Group B.

Group A consists of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu while Group B comprises Selangor, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak and the three Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.