KUCHING: Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) have been urged to be transparent and explain in detail the different parameters and considerations that are being used by them to justify the sudden decision to open 1,045 schools for physical classes beginning March 8 in the state.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii in raising this matter said that the decision to open schools is a big decision and it must be made based on proper science and data.
“The government must not simply flip-flop in their decisions as this concerns the health and safety of our students and even the staff in all these schools,” he said in a Facebook post on Friday.
Noting that the decision to reopen schools is a tough one, he said he understood there were many factors to consider. These include balancing the need to protect the health of our children and also to make sure they do not be left out from their studies especially among the poorer students and those living in rural areas, Yii noted.
“However, what is concerning is that even after one year of being in the pandemic, the MoE does not seem to have a comprehensive plan on how to address this issue and seems to be reactive in its policies which are shown by the constant flip-flopping and sudden last-minute decisions leaving parents more concerned and many confused,” he pointed out.
He said even if there was a reasonable justification from backtracking from the initial decision by the state that schools in Sarawak Covid-19 red zones would remain closed until March 14, the government should come out and clarify what exactly was that reasoning for them to decide to declare those schools safe for opening on an earlier date.
“According to SDMC, it said the decision was not based on the zoning system but risk assessments by the State Health Department and Education Department.
“Therefore, I believe the public, especially concerned parents have the right to know specifically what are the parameters used in the risk assessment for the government to deem it safe to re-open the schools even in the red zones,” he said.
This includes providing the data and different considerations used to determine if it is safe to re-open a school, the reason for switching from the zoning-system to another assessment, and also the additional preparations and safety measures that will be put in place in all those schools to make sure standard operating procedures (SOPs) are properly followed by all, the MP pointed out.
“All these details are important to allay any concerns the parents may have of the safety of their children, including the teachers.
“The parents should be allowed clear information for them to make a proper and informed choice whether to send their children back to school or not.
“With that, we can build confidence and acceptance among the parents, and they can then make an informed choice for what is best for their children,” he said.
When it comes to important policies, the government must be transparent and properly explain to the public the justifications of such a decision. This is not just because of the inconvenience that it may cause, but more importantly because it involves the health, security, and education of our children, Dr Yii reiterated.
On Friday, SDMC announced that 1,045 government and government-aided primary schools across the state are allowed to resume face-to-face class sessions beginning March 8.
Meanwhile, 220 primary schools in high-risk areas of Covid-19 infection are still prohibited from resuming physical classes until March 14.
