Despite the assumption that people would be more prepared this time around, the Simpang Renggam MP said no clear guidance was provided for parents on “what roles they should play at home”.

“They are still stuck with the debate over whether schools should be open or not. The moment schools reopen, they will pass all the responsibility to the teachers.

“They did not expect that there would be a second lockdown, in which their children would be staying at home again,” he said at a webinar entitled “Coping With the New Norm: Parents, Students and Teachers”.

Maszlee noted that a lot of educational content online was in English, which would prove difficult for non-English speaking families who were searching for digital learning resources.

According to him, many households still lacked proper internet connectivity, although almost a year has passed since students began online learning.

Maszlee said students living in areas with poor internet connection must be encouraged to read more physical books and to embrace it as “the new way of life” amid the new normal.

He added that production houses could play their part by coming out with public service announcements to guide parents, teachers and students on learning outside the classroom.

Selangor, Penang, Melaka, Johor, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya have been placed under a 14-day lockdown, which started yesterday.

In those states, only students facing major examinations and related international examinations will be allowed back into school.

Meanwhile, pupils in primary schools and those in Form 1 to Form 4 in MCO states are to undergo online learning from Jan 20, when the regular school year begins.

Commenting on SPM candidates who are scheduled to sit for their exams on Feb 22, Maszlee said school staff must work closely with the community to ensure students were adequately prepared to sit for their papers.

For schools in states that have been hit by floods, he said intervention by the district education office, local authorities, non-governmental organisations and parent-teacher associations was essential.

“Education is for all and is the responsibility of everybody. You cannot leave the responsibility of education only to the teachers.

“We should come and work together to solve the problem. Should we need extra classes for them (the students), we must do it,” he said.