KUALA LUMPUR: A systematic, staggered roster can assist a smooth operation as schools are set to reopen from next month, experts said.
National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Movement chairman Professor Datuk Dr Noraini Idris said the rotation system would prevent overcrowding, which made physical distancing difficult.
This was crucial, she said, as the country fought to reduce Covid-19 cases.
She said to address this, students, identified by their forms and standard, could take turns attending school on different days.
"For instance, Monday could be for Form Five students, Tuesday for Form Four students and so forth.
"They can use all the classrooms and other facilities, like laboratories for science subjects, with ease. It is also easier to monitor and control the crowd at the canteen.
"The number of days a certain group of standard or form can attend school in a week will depend on the number of the students there.
"If there is only a small number of students, they can attend school more often every week," she told the New Sunday Times.
She said the staggered roster would help teachers better manage the home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) process, while monitoring students' compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOP).
She said face-to-face interaction for students and teachers was integral in the learning process, but it should be implemented in an orderly manner to prevent Covid-19 infections in schools.
The reopening of schools would allow students to mix with their peers, which was crucial in their development, she added.
Other methods, like online classes and DidikTV, were additional tools to assist the PdPR process, she said.
Professor Dr Vincent Pang, a Universiti Malaysia Sabah Psychology and Education Faculty lecturer, expressed concerns about the SOP compliance in schools when they reopened.
He said the "flipped classroom" was a more suitable approach given the Covid-19 situation, and suggested a 50:50 student ratio between those participating in face-to-face and online learning.
A flipped classroom is a type of blended learning where students are introduced to content at home and practise working through it at school.
This is the reverse of the more common practice of introducing new content at school, then assigning homework and projects to completed by students at home.
He said it could be done by splitting the class, where half of students attended school and the rest stayed at home to study online.
"It is viable and safer for the children and teachers.
"With flipped classrooms, teachers can provide reading, video and audio materials to their students a day prior to the lesson.
"Ask the students to go through them before the class time.
"During class, a teacher discusses the materials face to face with the 50 per cent present and the other half who are online, concurrently, if possible.
"The students who attend face-to-face lessons and online can be switched on a daily basis or weekly basis."
Pang said stakeholders, including parents, should support this change in approach to make it work well.
Alliance for Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the staggered approach would allow schools to gradually accept students and ensure that everyone followed the SOP.
He suggested aid or compensation for teachers who would face additional stress in managing children, using space and ensuring good eating habits and personal hygiene when they were on school premises, on top of conducting the PdPR sessions.
"They will also have to monitor the health of children under their care.
"For the extra responsibility and workload that they have to bear, some compensation — financially or additional holidays — must be considered.
"After all, they are the new frontliners.
"The mental health of children is another important issue. Teachers will have the additional task of checking the children's home environment to ensure any stress will not spill over to schools and vice-versa."
He suggested the Education Ministry consider a new subject on community safety and health.
It was announced that pre-schoolers, Year One and Year Two pupils will be the first group to return to school on March 1, while those in Years Three to Six will resume classes on March 8.
Secondary school students will return in April after the mid-term break.