SEMARIANG: Immediate disciplinary action will be taken against teachers who continue to refuse Covid-19 vaccinations before Nov 1.
“They will be immediately transferred,” said Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin.
He added that the ministry had no choice because their action could pose great risk to others at the school.
“This primarily concerns those teaching in pre-schools,” he told a press conference during his visit to SMK Semariang here on Tuesday (Oct 26).
Radzi said based on the ministry’s updated list, some 80 percent of teachers nationwide had so far been fully vaccinated.
Based on the list, several teachers, who had earlier refused to be vaccinated, had also received their first dose of the vaccine.
“The basic rule is that if any teacher is not vaccinated, he or she cannot teach one to one which is not the same as teaching in an online class.
“Therefore, these teachers must get themselves vaccinated. We will continue to closely monitor the situation,” said the minister.
On vaccination for students, Radzi disclosed that an estimated 90 percent of students, aged between 12 and 17 years, had at least, received one dose of the Covid-19 vaccination nationwide.
On dilapidated schools, the minister said the Education Ministry had categorised such schools from Scale 7 downwards.
“For instance, if a school is categorised under Scale 7, JKR has stated that it will carry out immediate actions.
“The number of such schools is not static as the deterioration of such schools is mainly due to the types of soil they are built on.
“As such, we will ensure that all schools in the country in the future are built on the correct and appropriate types of soil,” he said.
Radzi was in the state for a four-day working visit since last Friday.
He has visited 18 schools in five parliamentary constituencies.
He also paid a courtesy call on the Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and they deliberated on education matters.
Earlier, during the visit to SMK Semariang, Radzi also officiated at a symbolic handing over of 12 laptops out of the 174 laptops to the B40 group students at the school.
Radzi watched two students conduct an experiment for a Science subject at the school’s laboratory. Photo: Mohd Alif Noni 
Radzi Jidin hands over a laptop to one of the students during his visit to SMK Bandar Samariang, Kuching. Photo: Mohd Alif Noni
