SIBU: Two hundred and twenty-three SPM candidates in the division who were unable to sit for the public examination recently due to the Covid-19 pandemic will sit for the examination from today until April 23.
Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee said the rescheduling had been agreed to mainly for the affected students.
“This is the last chance for them to sit for the exam. If they do not sit for the exam on this date, they will not be able to get their SPM certificates and they need to resit next year,” he said during his daily live stream on the Covid-19 updates in Sibu on his Facebook on Saturday (April 3).
He said arrangements had also been made for students who tested positive for Covid-19; they would sit for the exam at a designated area in the hospital.
“For those who do not test positive and are under quarantine due to close contact with a positive case, we will also prepare a place for them to have the exam at the quarantine centre,” he said.
The Nangka assemblyman added that previously, those who tested positive and were placed under quarantine were not allowed to sit for the exam.
In a separate matter, Dr Annuar also revealed that the chairman of the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas had agreed with the committee’s suggestion that school lessons be held on alternative days to avoid overcrowding and to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“We had a meeting with the respective school teachers and principals and it has been decided that all primary and secondary schools in Sibu division will reopen on Monday (April 5).
“However, students will attend lessons on alternate days,” he said.
He added Primary Four to Primary Six pupils would go to school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while preschoolers and Primary One to Primary Three pupils would go to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“Those in Form Four to Form Six, will attend lessons as usual while those in transition and Form Three will go to school in the first and third weeks and those in Form One and Form Two will go to school in the second and fourth weeks,” he said.
Dr Annuar added secondary schools could not use the approach of having lessons on alternative days as certain subjects were only taught on one or two days a week.
“We will use this alternative days approach for four weeks and it will be reviewed,” he said.
Dr Annuar added all sports and other schools related activities after class were strictly prohibited.
“On the other hand, class teachers will form a WhatsApp group comprising teachers, parents and students to check the health status of students and their families to ensure they are safe before going to school,” said Dr Annuar.
Asked if the schools would be closed if there was a positive case in the schools, he said those with close contact to the positive case in the classroom would be sent immediately for swab tests.
“Secondly, the whole school will be immediately closed for sanitisation for three days.
“For the close contacts, they will not come to school for two weeks unless after they complete the second swabs. This is the procedure now,” he said.
