KUALA LUMPUR: Previous experience with Home-Based Teaching and Learning (PdPR) has helped parents and students adapt to its re-implementation on Friday (Oct 9) for school closures in several states due to haze.
Teachers' readiness to prepare learning materials and assignments via digital platforms has kept learning uninterrupted, enabling students to prepare for classes and exams without attending physical classes.
In the federal capital, a civil servant who wished to be known only as Marlina, 44, said her afternoon work shift allowed her to help her eight-year-old daughter, a Year Two pupil at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Danau Kota 2, with online lessons in the morning.
"My daughter was eager to go to school, but I explained that schools were closed today due to the haze, though it was not a holiday as classes were conducted online. Fortunately, she is accustomed to this method, having experienced it in kindergarten during the Covid-19 pandemic," she said.
She praised teachers' swift action in preparing learning materials and assignment links despite the late-night announcement of school closures. This made it easier for parents to guide their children through home learning.
In SELANGOR, Razif Mat Arbak, 42, whose child is sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination this year, said home learning eased his concerns over his son's health at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Tinggi Klang. It also allowed the student to focus on exam preparation starting later this month.
He was torn over whether to send his son to school amid the haze or keep him at home to study, as the SPM examination was fast approaching.
"At least now he can learn via online learning and focus on the materials provided by the teachers without having to brave the outdoors, which I find increasingly worrying," he said.
Raheemie Arifin, 39, a father of a Year Three pupil at SK Taman Tun Dr Ismail Jaya in Shah Alam, also supported the Education Ministry's decision to close schools, particularly for primary school pupils who are more vulnerable to health risks.
"Implementing PdPR at this time is appropriate, as young children are more susceptible to illness. At least they can learn comfortably at home without inhaling polluted air," he said.
In NEGRI SEMBILAN, students similarly used PdPR to continue their exam preparations despite school closures caused by the haze.
Form Two student at SMK Seremban 3, Dania Irdina Mohd Hair Adnan, 14, said her teachers began posting assignments on Google Classroom as early as 7.45am, and students were required to submit completed work through their respective Digital Educational Learning Initiative Malaysia (DELIMa) 3.0 accounts.
"According to the timetable, we have our end-of-year examinations next week, so it would be a loss if we missed classes because the teachers share many tips and sample questions," said the second of four siblings.
In JOHOR, frontline worker Muhammad Faiz Husin, 36, said past experience with PdPR has helped parents manage their children's learning more systematically, although the method still demands continuous supervision to ensure assignments are completed within the set timeframe.
Meanwhile, in MELAKA, PdPR implementation varied across schools and classes, with some teachers conducting live online sessions while others assigned exercises to be completed at home.
For Asmawati Ibrahim, 37, from Semabok, her child's Year Three PdPR session started at 8am on Friday (Oct 9) following the original timetable for English, Islamic Education, Mathematics and Science.
The housewife said details regarding the PdPR session were received late last night, but there was enough time to make the necessary preparations.
"During the PdPR session, some teachers conducted quizzes, while others provided exercises that needed to be printed out beforehand," she said.
Amyleena Ashakri, 30, whose child is a Year One pupil at a school in Tengkera, said no live online classes had been scheduled so far today; instead, pupils were asked to complete work shared via the class WhatsApp group.
"I have to check the WhatsApp group regularly so we do not miss anything, as I have not given my child a smartphone since he is still young. If there is an online class, the teacher will provide a link for pupils to join," she said. - Bernama
