MCO provides opportunity for children to learn living skills

Believing that knowledge is not confined to only in classrooms or school, Norlida Akmar Idros, 37, who is a former media practitioner, is proud of her daughter's baking skills.

Norlida, who resides in Alor Setar, Kedah, not only encourages 10-year-old Nur Afya Irdina Mohd Faizul, who is the second of four siblings, to cook, but also allowed the girl to help her in the kitchen since she was eight years old.

This, she said, is on her believe that a child should not only be academically good, but possessing other skills will be a bonus.

As for Khuzairi Irwan, 39, he got his son, Danial Reza, 10, to help him plant vegetables in their backyard garden.

"We plant sawi, taugeh and kangkung, which has been our source of vegetable supply since the MCO," he added.

The cancellation of the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3) for Afiyah Affan, 35, provides a form of "escapism" for her children, who have been focusing only on classroom learning.

Since the MCO was enforced, she said, she allowed her two sons Azirul Haqim, 15, and Amirul Haziq, 12, to learn the techniques of motorcycle repair.

"I have a brother staying with me and he works at a motor workshop. Now that the shop is closed because of MCO, he repairs motorcycles at home for pocket money, and my two sons help him.

"From there, I could see my sons' interest in automotive and allow them to help their uncle so that they can also learn," said the woman, who lives in Puchong.

An expert in social issues, Prof. Datuk Dr Mohammad Shatar Sabran , said it would not be surprising for children and students, at all levels of learning, to become an extra-ordinary generation after the MCO ends.

He said they would be a proactive generation who would be prepared and able to survive if there is any emergency, like what is happening now, in the future.

Mohammad Shatar, who is Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) vice-chancellor, said the time away from school during the MCO for the students would also change the way they think.

"In general, Malaysians are fortunate because most of them, since they were born, do not know the difficulties in life.

"Suddenly we are hit by COVID-19 and then MCO which make life difficult because they have never been exposed to hardship, especially those without knowledge on survival. So, the MCO teaches them how to survive," he added.