THE government should deeply study and if possible reconsider their recent announcements to open up schools and universities in the country.
As the country is still facing a high number of daily Covid-19 cases, the question that needs to be asked is whether it is safe enough to open up our schools and universities in the coming weeks?
Recently, the Ministry of Education (MoE) announced that all schools, including private and international schools, will be reopened according to the 2021 academic calendar.
The 2021 school year in government schools and government-assisted schools will be from Jan 20 to Dec 9 for states in Group A (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu) and from Jan 20 to Dec 10 for states in Group B (all other states and territories). As for private and international schools, they will follow their respective academic calendars.
The ministry said the reopening of schools would involve all educational institutions across the country, including areas under the conditional movement control order. The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) has also allowed local students to return to their respective campuses in phases as early as March 1.
Both the MoE and MoHE should immediately initiate a backup plan, or Plan B, just in case Covid-19 infections continue at their current high rates in the country over the coming days and weeks.
The opening process for schools and universities will be a burden on students as well as their parents, including financial burden.
Parents will need to spend money preparing their young children for the opening of the new school session.
University students will also need to fork out money to go back to their respective campuses and support their accomodations on campus.
It would be a great disappointment for all these students and their parents if schools and universities were told to close again just a few days or weeks after being allowed to open due to Covid-19.
As such, it is crucial for the government, especially MoE and MoHE, to develop a backup plan to deal with this matter as soon as possible.
The backup plan can include the implementation of online teaching and learning processes which were carried out last year.
Concerned parties nationwide must be mentally and emotionally prepared if they are asked to continue using online teaching and learning processes.
This is important in order to stop the spread of Covid-19 and ensure the safety and health of our students in schools and universities.
The proposed backup plan needs to be drafted and announced immediately by both ministries.
Both students and parents need to be informed as early as possible about such plans in order for them to make all the necessary preparations and prevent future chaos.
Speaking on this issue, the government through the MoE and MoHE should draft a comprehensive plan to make online teaching and learning in our schools and universities part of our national education policy, and be fully and permanently implemented in the country as it would benefit everyone in the education sector, especially students.
Though the plan to utilise online teaching and learning has been developed in the country over the years and implemented in some schools and universities, it has not been implemented and utilised entirely.
Only when facing an emergency like the Covid-19 pandemic and government implements the closure of schools and universities that everyone begins forcing themselves to make full use of such modern methods of teaching and learning.
Though there have been few complaints over the implementation of online teaching and learning processes, it should not hamper our effort to use such modern methods and make them part of our national education policy.
Online teaching and learning has many advantages, especially for the students themselves.
Some advantages of online teaching and learning include course material accessibility, flexible scheduling, more academic options, and the opportunity to build valuable skills.
Online teaching and learning also provides an opportunity for individuals to build valuable life and professional skills.
It can help students improve their time management skills and increase their level of discipline.
In addition, with online learning a student may develop technological skills needed for their future careers.
Knowledge on the functions of the internet, typing, and software programs are necessary to be considered digitally literate, and online teaching and learning can help strengthen these skills.
Based on the advantages of online teaching and learning, this modern medium should be the way forward for our education sector in the future.
The government should make it part of our national education system, with more money allocated in this area so that it can become a resounding success.
Our educators and students in schools and universities need to be given enough facilities and more training in order to make online teaching and learning a permanent reality, not just to be used during emergency periods only.
Muzaffar Syah Mallow is a senior lecturer of Faculty of Syariah and Law at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
