KUCHING: As schools reopen today, teachers are letting a sigh of relief with the decision, despite the country is still battling with Covid-19 pandemic.
It is no doubt teachers had to find alternatives to keep the education of their children moving during the last three months but nothing can rival the real and physical presence inside classrooms.
On June 10, Education Minister Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin announced that secondary schools in the country will reopen in phases – firstly for those taking their public examinations such as Form Five students sitting for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and those in Form Upper Six sitting for Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) examination.
New Sarawak Tribune took the opportunity to reach out to secondary school teachers to hear their opinions upon returning to school to resume their duty as teachers.
Teacher Abdul Hadi Meredan, 30, from SMK (BM) Saratok said that he felt a different aura upon returning to school, unlike before the pandemic.
Personally he has a mixture of feelings, namely both happy and worried, as he returns to resume his duty.
To him, it is indeed a relieved feeling as he prefers physical teaching than online as there are multiple challenges and difficulties during the (online) learning session.
“Among the disadvantages of teaching from home are the presence of too few students; the internet access is too weak and it is difficult to provide further clarification to students, especially as I am teaching subjects like Economics and Mathematics.
“Nevertheless, there are greater challenges in the classroom now as I am worried that students would not be able to practise 100 percent of the standard operating procedure (SOP) guidelines. And honestly as a teacher, the students at the school can be difficult to control and that their level of compliance with the instructions would be low, especially in terms of social distancing.
“Thus, I also become paranoid about the lessons in the classrooms as the virus presence cannot be seen with our naked eyes. I will try my best to take my own personal hygiene and health, including teaching using a face mask,” he told New Sarawak Tribune on Tuesday (June 23).
Regardless, Hadi hopes that everyone will be safe from the coronavirus because in terms of preparation, he believes that all schools are providing a safe environment for teachers, staff members and students.
For Muhammad Rikhan, 24, a teacher at SMK Demak Baru, he stated that this Wednesday (today June 24) would be the most anticipated day for all teachers across the country, whether in primary or secondary school – especially after three months of online teaching and learning activities.
“Every teacher should be prepared physically and mentally as new norms are introduced in accordance with SOPs and established guidelines. The feeling must have been intense even though the momentum has been disrupted since the movement control order (MCO) was introduced.
“However, I believe that teachers in Malaysia are able to take on the responsibilities that have been entrusted to them on the wellbeing of students especially those sitting for vital public examinations such as SPM, STPM and others,” he explained.
Rikhan also stated that in the spirit of facing the first day of school after almost three months, all must be vigilant and practise preventive measures such as using face masks, regular hand washing and social distancing.
“I hope everyone will always be protected from any danger and at the same time eliminate and break this Covid-19 chain,” he concluded.
