Irene Chang
SIBU: The reported positive Covid-19 case involving a teacher at SJK Methodist here should prompt Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to review its decision to reopen schools in Sibu, said Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang.
She said the decision to open schools apart from eight primary schools located in Covid-19 high-risk areas in Sibu until March 19 did not make practical sense.
“It’s better for the SDMC to look at the overall situation in Sibu before deeming it safe for schools to reopen,” she said in a statement yesterday.
A total of 85 primary schools in Sibu District have resumed classes since March 15 while eight others located at Covid-19 high-risk areas are still closed.
The eight schools are SK St Rita, SJK Sacred Heart Chinese, SJK Uk Daik, SJK Chung Sing, SK Sentosa, SK Sungai Durin, SK Ulu Durin Kiba, and SK Sungai Naman.
Chang said since it was only one more week before the mid-term break starting March 26, there was no point in putting physical and emotional pressure on both teachers and students.
“And when cases like the teacher from SJK Methodist happened, it would put extra stress on the resources of both the health system and SDMC. Also, to carry out physical classes at this point is not conducive to the teaching and learning environment in schools as teachers would spend more time and energy in making sure the SOP is strictly followed.”
Chang suggested that SDMC review the decision to open all schools in Sibu until at least the end of March.
“Let the teachers and students focus on online teaching and learning for the time being,” she said
Of the eight schools that had their opening postponed until March 22, Chang said four of them are located in Bukit Assek area, which is a Covid-19 hot spot. They are SK St Rita, SJK Sacred Heart Chinese,
SJK Uk Daik and SJK Chung Sing.
“I understand that the decision to reopen the schools was based on the fact that many of the schools were located outside the red zone.
“This decision does not reflect the reality on the ground. Even though a school may not be located in red zone district, many students and teachers actually come from red zone districts.
“Take SK St Rita (which is closed) and SK Sacred Heart English (which is opened) as an example. There are bound to be children from the same family in SK St Rita which is a girls’ school and at Sacred Heart English which is a boys’ school.”
Chang said she had received a few phone calls from parents of late saying that while their girls could stay home for the whole of this week, their brothers had to go back to school on March 15.
“Since they come from the same household, what is the logic of keeping the girls at home while sending the boys to school? If the child who goes to school should come back with the infection, the whole family would be at high risk of being infected.
“I advised them that if they were not comfortable, they should just avoid sending their children to school.”
Chang also said SDMC should be aware that many other schools like SJK Methodist and SK Perbandaran Sibu No 4 which are located outside the red zones and which opened on March 15, have students and teachers living in red zone districts.
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