Unvaccinated students won’t be barred from attending school

The education ministry will not stop students who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 from attending school when face-to-face school sessions begin.

Deputy Education Minister I Mah Hang Soon said he did not rule out the possibility that some students might reject vaccination as their parents were not ready to allow them to receive the jab, adding however that the number was small.

“Every student has the right (to study and attend school). There is no reason for the ministry to prevent them from returning to school (without vaccination).

“Counselling will be given especially to the parents as it is not the student who declines to be vaccinated but it is the parents who reject it,” he said at a media conference on the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) for adolescents with Deputy Health Minister I Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali yesterday.

He said the education ministry through the district education offices had issued directives to schools nationwide to expedite the issuing of PICK Adolescent appointments to ensure its success.

He said various approaches would be taken by the education ministry to disseminate information to parents on the need for vaccination for their safety and to protect their children from serious Covid-19 infection.

“The education ministry is prepared to assist parents and schools to achieve the objective. It is planning to send various promotion materials help parents and schools achieve goals. The ministry plans to send various leaflets to help parents receive the correct information so that they can agree to allow their children to receive the vaccine,” he said.