KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 — Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today exam takers can continue to attend school in states under the second movement control order (MCO), to be enforced starting January 13 to 26, but subject to strict physical distancing protocols.
“Even though there are tight restrictions, particularly in states under the MCO, an exception will be given to pupils and those sitting for the main examinations that include SPM for year 2020 and 2021 session,” he said on live television today.
“They will be allowed to attend school but with strict SOP. The Ministry of Education will fine tune the details of the SOP soon,” he added.
Schools were totally shuttered under the first MCO that spanned from March to May last year, which prompted parental concerns over its impact on children as they miss nearly a year’s worth of education.
Studies have also shown that poorer households feel the effect disproportionately higher than their better off counterparts, who can afford equipment like laptops or computers that are crucial for online learning.
The Ministry of Education was forced to push back the 2020 SPM examinations this year.
Muhyiddin announced a fresh round of tight restrictions earlier this evening in a much-anticipated national address delivered amid growing concern over the surge of daily Covid-19 cases in recent months.
The prime minister said a second MCO is necessary to prevent the healthcare system from crashing.
The disease caused by the novel coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 Covid-19 was starting to overwhelm the country’s major public hospitals, 15 of which he said were already “at breaking point.”
Five states and a federal territory — Selangor, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Johor and Sabah — will be placed under the MCO while six others will remain under the conditional movement control order (CMCO).
No interstate and inter-district travel will be allowed for all states while only essential economic sectors will be allowed to operate in states under the MCO.
