By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Dec 25: The third term of the 2021/2022 school session will be delayed for a week in light of the flood situation in Malaysia.
Senior Minister of Education Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin said the school session will begin on Jan 9, 2022 for schools in Group A States, namely Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
For schools in Group B States, namely Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Labuan and Federal Territory of Putrajaya, the new school term will start on Jan 10, 2022.
“The decision was made by the Ministry of Education (MOE) after taking into consideration the flood situation nationwide which involved students, parents and teachers as well as schools which are affected or being used as a temporary evacuation centre (PPS),” he said in a two-minute video uploaded to his Facebook page yesterday (Dec 24).
He further said MOE acknowledged that this unprecedented disaster is a challenging time for everyone and they require time to prepare for the schooling session.
“Our prayers go to the flood victims nationwide and insyaAllah, any decision made by the MOE will take into account the wellbeing of students, parents and teachers,” he added.
In a statement issued by MOE yesterday, it informed that as of Dec 24, 475 learning institutions nationwide are either being used as PPS or affected by floods.
“The one-week delay applies to all learning institutions under MOE and all private schools that implement the national curriculum.
“Meanwhile, the operation of international schools and expatriate schools is according to their respective school calendars.
“For kindergartens registered under the MOE, operation is allowed from Jan 2, 2022 for Group A states and Jan 3, 2022 for Group B states,” it explained.
Learning institutions under the MOE in this media statement refer to schools, vocational colleges, matriculation colleges and teacher education institutes.
However, MOE also recommends that this ruling apply to all educational institutions that are not registered with MOE. — DayakDaily
