Only 30 Per Cent of Primary School Pupils Attend Online Classes

JOHOR BAHRU: Fewer than 30 per cent of primary school pupils in Johor are participating in home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) following school closures due to haze, compared with about 70 per cent of secondary school students.

Johor Private Parent and Community Engagement Association chairman Datuk Yahya Jaafar said the low participation rate was believed to be due to working parents’ constraints, a lack of suitable devices and insufficient guidance at home.

He said the situation was worrying as prolonged school closures caused by haze could disrupt students’ learning, particularly those preparing for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, most parents were at home to guide their children through PdPR. However, the situation is different now as many parents are working and unable to directly monitor their children’s learning,” he told Utusan Malaysia here yesterday.

Yahya said one measure that could be considered if physical classes continued was the use of face masks in classrooms.

“Students’ movements could also be restricted, particularly in open areas, to reduce their exposure to polluted air.

“For boarding schools, teaching and learning activities could be conducted within the hostels, with teachers providing guidance on-site while limiting students’ movements,” he said.

According to Yahya, other measures could include allowing parents greater flexibility to take leave, with the government and employers considering annual leave or emergency leave where appropriate, so they could guide their children through PdPR at home.

“This measure is particularly important for primary school pupils who still require close supervision, while ensuring that disruptions to their learning do not continue for too long,” he said.

UTUSAN