COVID: MOE made decisions in the best interest of the children - Minister

KOTA BHARU: Each decision made by the Ministry of Education (MOE) while the country is fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic is based on the information according to the current situation and in the interests of the children, said Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin.

Radzi said each action taken by the ministry was based on the information projected and forecasted at the time the decision was made, adding that it was just a forecast and prediction.

"When people asked if the school will re-open, we would say yes because we are committed to ensuring that schools can still be open but the reality is we do not know," he said when speaking at the launching ceremony of the 'Thank You Teacher' programme in conjunction with the 50th National Teachers' Day celebration here, today.

Citing an example, Radzi said the ministry had to postpone the reopening of school scheduled to start on Jan 20 this year when the daily COVID-19 cases reached 4,000 with no sign of it declining.

"(People) can talk, can give opinions but not one has ever dealt (with the COVID-19 crisis before). We (KPM) are the ones who had to analyse the data and discuss (to look) for the best approach," he added.

Radzi said although the MOE faced great challenges and was under pressure during the period, it was committed to ensuring that the education ecosystem continued to run smoothly, especially in making sure that no pupils and students were left behind in their education.

-- BERNAMA