By Adrian Lim
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11: Only students taking public examinations in the Movement Control Order (MCO) states will be required to attend physical classes for the start of the new academic year from January 20 onwards.
Education Ministry, in a press statement, said Standard One until Standard Four students in MCO states will continue with online learning.
The ministry said students who were allowed to be present physically on campus are those sitting for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Malaysian Vocational Certificate (SVM), Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM), Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), the Malaysian Higher Religious Certificate (STAM) and Malaysian Vocational Diploma (DVM) for the year 2020 and 2021 as well as equivalent international examinations.
The ministry added students at fully residential schools or schools with hostels sitting for examinations were allowed to return to their schools from January 16 with the schools to issue letters providing special approval for them to travel across states or districts.
“All primary school students and Form One to Form Four students in secondary schools in MCO areas will conduct their studies through the Teaching and Learning at Home (PdPR) method according to the suitability for teachers from January 20,2021.
“This also applies to students of SVM semester 2 and DVM semester 2 for year 2020 in vocational colleges,” said the ministry.
The Education Ministry added registered candidates who have yet to sit for assessment for enrollment in special schools for Form One will sit for the assessment between January 20 to January 29.
The ministry said the assessment for those entering Form Four will be held between February 15 and February 25 with the ministry to issue letters granting special approval to allow candidates to travel across states or districts to reach the assessment centres.
Education Ministry added teachers in schools in MCO areas are required to return to their workplace before January 20.
It noted teachers who are involved with the SPM/SVM/SKM/STPM/STAM/DVM examinations for 2020 and 2021 in MCO areas have to be present at school to conduct face-to-face teaching and learning activities.
For matriculation college students in MCO areas, those who are already in their colleges are required to remain at their respective colleges to continue with hybrid lessons.
The education ministry emphasised that students of all programmes at Institutes of Teachers Education (IPG) in MCO areas are to follow online lessons from January 17.
It added all private kindergartens that are registered with the Education Ministry can continue to operate face-to-face.
For all educational institutions and private educational institutes registered with the Education Ministry located in Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) and Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) areas, it said they will operate according to the respective schedules of each institution.
Earlier, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin disclosed that six states namely Pahang, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan were placed under CMCO while Perlis and Sarawak were placed under RMCO from January 13 until January 26. — DayakDaily
