A few days ago, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said that primary and secondary school students are allowed to return to school for face-to-face classes regardless of their vaccination status. This is despite the risk of children being more vulnerable to Covid-19 and that many students aged below 12 years old have yet to be inoculated. Ironically, many of the students who received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine would be allowed to enter the school grounds, and teachers with no immunisation status would still be allowed to enter the school and mingle with their colleagues, with the condition they do not conduct lessons with their pupils.
However, in order for Malaysia to bounce back from the pandemic, the SOPs need to remain consistent across the board to ensure that loopholes can be closed. It is also more traumatising to see young pupils being exposed to the virus, with the possibility of them spreading the virus to their family members, especially if they have elderly relatives living with them. Although the education sector is under the purview of two different ministers, nevertheless the SOPs being introduced and formulated should be consistent in order to ensure that every student receives quality education and prevent viral outbreaks in educational institutions.
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