KUALA LUMPUR: School closures due to the haze have not affected student performance so far. However, the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) cautions that autonomy should not be given to individual schools to decide whether to remain open or to close.
NUTP president Hashim Adnan said that despite the school closures, students have still managed to catch up with the entire school syllabus and obtain good results in examinations.
“As long as students are giving their full attention during class and doing their revisions at home, it’s likely that they would still be able to make up for lost school time despite the school closures,” he told the NST.
He added the ministry should not give autonomy to schools to determine whether to open or close because the decision may or may not be for the student’s best interest in terms of safety and health.
A headmistress from Negri Sembilan said although all schools have an e-learning program, not all students had Internet access at home.
“For now, the school board is taking the necessary measures such as making sure the students and the staff wear masks, closing all doors when not used and being vigilant for students who are unwell to ensure they received prompt medical attention,” she said.
Meanwhile, a teacher from a secondary school in Puchong said the school now uploaded material on-line for the students.
“We are doing our part to ensure that the students still can do their own home revision by uploading notes and exercises for the students on-line to make up for the loss of learning hours from the school closures,” she said.
She added that parents had been very supportive, though they were worried about the delay of school examinations and activities.
National Parent-Teacher Association Collaborative Council president Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Ali Hasan encouraged parents to buy respiratory masks and air purifiers.
“It would be good if parents can provide financial aid and donate protective masks and safety equipment (to the schools),” he said.