KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 — Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) wants the government to allow students to skip school when it reopens on January 20 and attend their SPM and STPM exams when the time comes without any repercussions.
PAGE chair Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said parents have expressed concerns for their children’s safety as there was poor compliance from teachers towards the new SOPs when schools briefly reopened last year.
“Schools will reopen on January 20 either to complete trials exam for those that have not or conduct crucial physical revision classes. Parents are urging that trials be canceled as 20 per cent of schools have not completed the process.
“They are also aggrieved that when schools reopened for two months last year before abruptly closing, SOPs were not closely adhered to by the teachers,” she said in a statement today.
The Education Ministry had announced that all schools and educational institutions nationwide will reopen on January 20, including those in areas under the conditional movement control order (CMCO).
Over 10,000 schools, involving about five million students and 400,000 teachers, are set to reopen on January 20.
After the MCO in March, primary and secondary schools reopened in phases from July 5, however, when cases spiked again in October states like Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Putrajaya had to shut down again.
Subsequently, all schools nationwide closed on November 9.
Noor Azimah said since schools were closed for so long let those who do not want to attend school until their examination be allowed to stay at home.
“Allow students to opt out from attending school without being reprimanded for being absent.
“Give the option for students to attend the planned SPM on February 22 and STPM on March 8 without having to attend school,” she added.
