EMCO: Boarding school, vocational college students not allowed back for Raya

KUALA LUMPUR: Students in boarding schools and Vocational College (KV) hostels under the Education Ministry in Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) areas are not allowed to return home for Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

According to the National Security Council (MKN), the EMCO standard operating procedure (SOP) for the education sector also stipulates that no individuals from schools and KVs are allowed to exit or enter the affected areas.

"No guests or visitors are allowed to enter during the EMCO period. All physical and co-curricular school activities are suspended during the EMCO," according to the education sector SOP shared by the MKN on its official Telegram website.

However, in the event of emergencies such as illness and death, movement is allowed provided permission is obtained from the police as well as family representatives can also contact the District Disaster Management Committee (JPBD).

In addition, any contribution by non-governmental organisations during the EMCO period must be channelled via the JPBD, which is also responsible for coordinating the provision of food aid.

Regarding the SOP for areas or states subject to the MCO, CMCO (Conditional MCO) and RMCO (Recovery MCO), the MKN said schools need to prepare a schedule for the movement of students to go back home and return to the hostel.

All students in Group A states (schools in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu) are allowed to go back in stages from May 6 and return to hostels on June 12 while students in Group B states (schools in Perlis, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Pahang, Sabah, Sarawak, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya) will be allowed to go back from May 7 and return on June 13.

For the purpose of student movement, the MKN said school transport or special rentals must be provided if there are more than 10 people who need to cross the state or zones for Sabah and Sarawak while private vehicles can only be used for students who do not need to cross state borders and if there are 10 people or less to cross the state or zones in Sabah and Sarawak.

"Schools need to set a location for dropping off/picking up students in each state. Parents/guardians can pick up their children/wards at these designated locations," according to the SOP.

The SOP also stipulates that parents/guardians in Sabah and Sarawak, who have children attending schools in Labuan, can pick up and return their children/wards at designated locations only.

For health management purposes, all students are required to undergo a health screening before boarding a vehicle that has been sanitised and provided by the school, to always wear a face mask and adhere to the stipulated SOP throughout the journey.

In addition, only healthy students are allowed to return to hostels provided they and family members living in the same household are not in quarantine or in close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual, and are required to submit a health declaration form.

Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin on April 26 announced that learning sessions after the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays would continue with the home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) method for two weeks instead of face-to-face sessions at school.

The learning sessions will start from May 16 to 27 for group A schools and May 17 to 28 for group B schools. After the PdPR period, pupils will continue with their term holidays from May 28 to June 12 for group A schools and May 29 to 13 June for group B schools.

-- BERNAMA