KUCHING, Apr 8: In the face of prolonged school closures due to the Movement Control Order (MCO), Datuk Fatimah Abdullah commended teachers in urban and rural areas for persisting in taking care of their students’ education remotely.
From giving homework to their students, planned exercises, schedule worksheets, pre-recorded videos with specific subjects and e-learning, the Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development advised teachers to be very clear in their expectations and make it known to parents and students.
“These initiatives of continuing education and learning from home during MCO will definitely benefit the students in one way or another. It creates a sense of security amongst students when their teachers keep in touch and communicate with them even when schools are closed indefinitely,” Fatimah said in a statement.
She noted that one parent had informed her that their children used gadgets more productively now that they started working from home due to MCO.
Believing in learning from home required a disciplined learner, Fatimah added that parents’ involvement becomes important, especially for the younger children.
“Parents involvement is needed not only to operate the gadget but also to guide, supervise and in some cases, clarify tasks or exercises given by the teacher,” she further explained.
Pointing out that the conversation from teachers need not be 100 per cent about school work, she said it could be anything such as ‘how are you today?’
“It also gives them comfort knowing that their teacher cares for them. Continuing education from home also provides a much-needed routine and a sense of purpose in the children’s lives during MCO.
“The schedule and the subject matter must be well planned. The tasks given however must be scaled-down compared to what is being given in normal classrooms,” she asserted.
Congratulating the teachers from both rural and urban areas for the self initiatives during the MCO, Fatimah also said other creative means will have to be done in cases of unavailability of phone or internet access.—DayakDaily
