In his televised address, Ismail announced the reappointment of Radzi Jidin as the education minister along with Mah Hang Soon as deputy. Mohamad Alamin will also join as a deputy in the ministry, replacing Muslimin Yahaya.
Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) president Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said hybrid learning must be put in place to optimise 21st-century learning in order to bridge the accessibility divide during the pandemic.
She said a new school curriculum must be created in order for students to make necessary improvements to their education as it was disrupted by the pandemic.
She also said the education ministry must seriously consider the recommendations of the National Education Advisory Council (NEAC) from 2018 to 2020.
“Setting up a new NEAC for another two years will not achieve anything and would be a waste of time and resources,” she told FMT.
Noor Azimah said the ministry must also ensure teachers attend classes punctually and that those absent would be replaced without any delay.
“The mental health of students returning to schools should also be attended to and not be taken lightly,” she said.
Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education (Magpie) chairman Mak Chee Kin said more focus and improvement should be made on the delivery of home-based teaching and learning (PdPR), especially in rural areas.
He said students in rural areas do not get equal education opportunities due to problems such as internet connectivity and transportation to school.
He said unless these issues were addressed, students in rural areas would continue to be left out.
Mak added that the ministry should also work together with the health ministry to schedule kids to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
“With the high levels of Covid-19 infections, the education ministry and health ministry must work closely together to ensure the safety of students before schools reopen.
“All decisions should be made based on science and data. If students are not able to get their vaccinations by mid-September, then (the) reopening of schools should be deferred,” he said.
Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) president Adam Prakash Abdullah said recruitment of grade DG41 education service officers must be carried out by September to ease the problem of teacher shortages in schools, especially in Sarawak.
He also called for the welfare of teachers in Sarawak to be looked into, such as moving teachers’ quarters by the riverbanks to higher ground to avoid being hit by floods.
He added that the ministry should also come up with clear instructions and guidelines to ensure the safe reopening of schools.
“STU welcomes back Radzi Jidin as the education minister. We hope he will continue with all the policies already in place and make good on the promises made by the last Cabinet,” he said.