KUCHING, Dec 29: Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong urges State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to clarify the status of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) for Sarawak and whether schoolgoing children will be attending face-to-face classes or online classes in view of the reopening of schools for the 2022 academic year.
She added SDMC and the Sarawak government must formulate a robust strategic plan to assist Form Five Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates in Sarawak with their studies if the government decides to continue with online classes so that the students are not at a disadvantage when competing with their counterparts in Peninsular Malaysia.
She noted that Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin has recently announced that all schools will begin the new academic year on Jan 9 and 10 next year for all states to give ample time for children and parents to prepare for the coming school term due to the floods nationwide
“Whatever your decisions, please keep in mind that the people need time to get their children ready for school not because they are slow but need time to pool resources (especially finances).
“MOE (Ministry of Education) must keep to its promise of giving at least a week notice when changing the mode of the classes and schools in Sarawak are still waiting for such written instructions,” she said in a statement today.
Yong, who is a member of Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak, raised the issue of the timing of children going back to school due to the anxiousness and uncertainty faced by parents.
She noted that Sarawak has achieved the highest vaccination rate for Covid-19 but the State is among the last few states that has yet to begin face-to-face classes.
Yong pointed out that SDMC and the State government must take into account Form Five students who will be sitting for the SPM public examination in March 2022.
She noted that other states had begun face-to-face classes for Form Five students adding that those students had already had their simulation for their Bahasa Malaysia and English language oral examinations.
“Some states had even begun with the laboratory classes to prepare their candidates for the science practical examination which was scheduled to be held early next year.
“What are their plans for us Sarawakians, or should I say what exactly is our plan to help our children face such adversity?” she asked.
As such, Yong hoped that SDMC will rise up to the challenge and take proactive action to inform the Form Five students as well as all school going children in Sarawak early. — DayakDaily
