Education ministry gives new school dates for transitioning states

Schools in Johor will reopen on Oct 10, two weeks after the state’s transition to Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan, the education ministry announced today.

In a statement, the ministry said it had determined that if a state progresses to the next stage of the recovery plan, schools under its jurisdiction would operate based on regulations for the new phase two weeks after the transition takes place.

Schools in Pahang will continue with the initial plan to open on Oct 4, based on the operating regulations for educational institutions in Phase Two states.

However, given that Pahang transitions to Phase Three today, schools will operate based on Phase Three regulations from Oct 11 onwards.

Likewise, schools in Negeri Sembilan will reopen on Oct 4 and transition to Phase Four regulations on Oct 18.

The ministry also said the National Security Council had given the green light for Form Six students in their second semesters as well as those sitting for the IGCSE O-Level examination in Phase One states to attend school without rotation.

“Therefore, schools in Kedah will begin operating on Oct 10 for these groups,” it said, adding that all others would continue with the online teaching and learning method (PdPR) from home.

Schools in states that are not involved in interphase shifts will continue with the regulations announced by the ministry on Sept 12.

Negeri Sembilan today joins Labuan in Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan, while Pahang transitions from Phase Two to Three and Johor from Phase One to Two.

The education ministry said on Sept 12 the reopening of schools nationwide would proceed in stages from Oct 3 based on the phases of the National Recovery Plan, with students in each class divided into two groups and each group taking turns to attend school physically.

Schools in states under Phase One in general will remain closed, with classes to continue through the PdPR method.

Special needs students in Phase Two states will be allowed to attend school without any rotation while primary school pupils will continue with PdPR.

As for secondary school students in Phase Two states, only pupils in the second semester of Form Six and the third semester of sports school pre-university programmes and those taking international examinations will be allowed to attend school.

States under Phase Three of the NRP will be allowed to reopen preschools and private kindergartens without rotation.

At the secondary school level meanwhile full boarding school students sitting for public examinations will be allowed to attend school without rotation, while daily or private school students sitting for public examinations will be allowed with rotation.

For states under Phase Four, students from Standard One to Three will attend school on a rotational basis from Oct 17 onwards while those in Standard Four to Six will do the same on a rotational basis from Oct 31.