Get ready students, school is about to reopen! Well, not without the proper guidelines in place first, that is.
According to Education Minister Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin, temperature checks upon entering the school compounds will be necessary once schools have reopened and that further action will be taken for those showing any symptoms.
"We are also aware that some students walk or cycle to school and the temperature could be slightly above 37.5°C... so these students will be asked to rest first to ensure their body temperature returns to normal before it is checked again.”
"Each school will have an isolation room. If the student shows any symptoms they will be brought there and the school, besides contacting the parents, will also contact the nearest health centre for further action, ” he told Bernama during a visit to monitor the preparations for school reopening at SMK Engku Husain in Semenyih on Wednesday (June 3), along with director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, National Security Council (MKN) director-general Mohd Rabin Basir and Education director-general Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim.
Photo: Bernama
Furthermore, social distancing between students will also be kept in check especially during recess as children would only be allowed into the canteen area in stages and they would eat their meals in the classrooms.
"Students need to buy packed food and will be queuing with a 1m gap between each other before returning to their classrooms to eat.”
"Hence, the situation in the canteen will be in orderly and parents don't have to worry about children jostling to buy food as recess will be carried out in stages to ensure that not all students gathered at the canteen at any one time, ” he said.
As for the guidelines in the classroom, tables in the classroom must be kept within a 1m gap from one another and extra students would be placed in another class. School labs will also be set up in the same manner.
The movement of students around the school campus will also be monitored as floors will be marked with arrows to avoid crowding.
Similar guidelines will also be applied for students in dormitories where their beds would be spaced 1m apart and the dining hall would emphasise social distancing among students.
"We sincerely hope students will practice social distancing while they are at school and throughout their journey to and from school, ” said Mohd Radzi.
Photo: Malay Mail
The new guidelines will also be placed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of teachers.
Teachers need not worry about being placed in a cramped teachers’ room as the schools must ensure that social distancing habits are practised at all times, which includes placing teachers in suitable rooms or resource centres.
The Education Ministry’s school reopening management guidelines will be distributed to schools beginning today (June 4).
The 34-page detailed guidelines were developed in collaboration with the Health Ministry and the National Security Council (MKN) and will also be posted on the Education Ministry’s website.
Once schools reopen, the ministry will keep a close eye on how these guidelines are being implemented and if there could be any room for improvement to ensure that students and teachers are in a safe environment.
We’re glad to know that a lot of thought has been given to ensure that students can go back to school safely in this new normal.
By: Siti Farhana Sheikh Yahya
