KUALA LUMPUR: The Higher Education Ministry's proposal to reopen higher learning institutions (HEIs) in March will not only see the first step of normalcy returning to the tertiary education sector, but also prevent students from losing out in the long run.
Educationists said prolonged closures of universities would cause long-term damage to students' learning journeys, health and wellbeing, as well as exacerbate inequalities, which could risk their futures.
Others, however, said crucial details, such as facilities and resources to accommodate the new normal standard operating procedures (SOP), should first be ironed out to prevent another situation similar to the one in October when a last-minute notice by the ministry postponing face-to-face registration left many students stranded.
Taylor's University Deputy Vice-Chancellor and chief academic officer Professor Dr Pradeep Nair said the ministry should at least allow private HEIs to open their campuses in January to carry out clinical, practical and studio-based classes.
This, he said, was because Malaysia could not afford to have a generation of "Covid-era graduates" who were not equipped for the workforce two or three years down the line.
"We are keeping abreast of developments and announcements by the Higher Education Ministry and understand that there are plenty of guidelines and procedures to consider before making this decision.
"We have adapted swiftly to the campus closure enforced nationwide and Taylor's, like most institutions, has been teaching online for the last two main semesters, making up a third of a student's degree programme.
"There are growing concerns about learning outcomes of students in fields that require practical experiences — like medicine, engineering, architecture, design and hospitality — as they are denied the opportunity to learn clinical, laboratory and studio-based skills.
"For example, medical students in their clinical years would have completed two semesters without entering a hospital and seeing patients."
He said that a continued closure would affect the sustainability of private institutions that are independent entities that rely on student enrolments.
The IPTS (private HEI) industry associations, he said, had appealed to the ministry to schedule classes for 30 per cent of the student population at each time, following the SOP on hygiene and physical distancing.
"Taylor's has implemented safety measures in anticipation of welcoming our students back to campus."
National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Movement chairman Professor Datuk Dr Noraini Idris of Universiti Malaya said that should the Covid-19 situation improve by March, the government could look into allowing all students back on campus.
"Universities should ensure the SOP are in place. Classrooms and laboratories have to be sanitised frequently and the number of students limited per classroom.
"If a staggered return is allowed, hybrid learning should continue to accommodate those unable to be back on campus.
"Despite having online lessons, some students, such as those learning Mathematics, find it challenging to cope and prefer traditional classroom learning.
"Besides, not all students have the gadgets and good Internet access. Permitting them entry to classrooms would ensure a disruption-free learning."
Professor Datuk Dr Abdul Rashid Mohamed of the Academy of Professors Malaysia said it would be better to reopen with a new semester in March as it would be like a new start.
However, he said the Covid-19 situation does not look like it is slowing down anytime soon. Rather, it had shown signs of an upward trend in the number of new cases, he said.
"Opening universities would mean a lot of cross-border travelling. How do we control the mingling of students, other than in classes, where it can be easily done?"
On concerns about why schools were slated to reopen in January but HEIs in March, he said schools should not be equated with universities, as schools were more localised, and with feeder students coming from a same area or district, any untoward incidents could be contained.
However, in universities, he said, their students were coming from the entire nation and from abroad.
Rashid said students should be allowed back on campus in stages and the ministry, as well as universities, could come up with a priority list.
"For example, final-year students should be given priority. Also, students attending a course with lab requirements, those with poor Internet connectivity and needing space for better learning, B40 students, those needing psychological support, those coming from Green zones, and programmes that are ready for hybrid classes, should be considered.
"Getting back on campus, especially for sciences, engineering and medical students is perhaps more essential than other programmes, but at the same time, we don't want all our graduates to be less skilled or professional because they were not prioritised.
"Perhaps the minister is doing the right thing by getting universities to discuss and talk, but sometimes, the universities' top officials tend to be subservient and will not divulge their actual situation so that they're not seen as incapable.
"The ministry needs to get the right people to give them honest and sincere advice."
He said the world had experienced four industrial revolutions that changed the understanding of education.
With the Fourth Industrial Revolution, he said, came a new era of education (Education 4.0) to cater to the needs of the new world through personalised education.
"Most of our universities are stuck at Education 3.0, where we're struggling to cope with the use of electronic and information technologies to further automate production.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has given us this opportunity.
"Do we have the strength to decide on what to do? Because doing it does not take much strength.
"We need to stop vice-chancellors building monuments and putting their photographs all over campus and instead use what little resources we have to build a new learning environment for our students."