All Schools Nationwide To Close For Rest Of The Year Starting Tomorrow

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The Ministry of Education (MOE) has decided to close all schools nationwide for the rest of the year, starting from tomorrow (9 November)

According to Senior Minister (Education) Mohd Radzi Md Jidin, this ruling includes vocational colleges as well. For schools located in Group A states, the closure will end on 17 December 2020, while schools located in Group B states will close until 18 December 2020.

FYI, Group A states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu – states that set Friday and Saturday as weekends. While Group B states are all other states and areas which set Saturday and Sunday as weekends.

He said the decision was made after taking into account the third wave surge of Covid-19 cases in the country, and the subsequent conditional movement control order (CMCO) announcement by Senior Minister (Defence) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday (7 November).

Despite there being no CMCO implemented in Kelantan, Pahang, and Perlis, the MOE has decided to close all schools in those states as well, including those in Sarawak, to control the further spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Mohd Radzi said that for the entire period of the closure, teaching and learning (Pelajaran dan Pembelajaran, PdP) will continue using the home-based-learning method, according to the suitability of teachers and students.

He added that school administrators will need to ensure that teachers and students implement teaching and learning activities at home, while all teachers are expected to remain at their respective duty stations during this time.

For students in boarding schools, parents and guardians are required to fetch them home. However, students will be allowed to continue to stay in the hostel while waiting to be fetched.

During this period, students will be under the supervision of the hotel wardens, and meals will be provided by the school.

All schools nationwide will reopen when the school term begins on 20 January 2021.

All primary school students, as well as secondary schools students in Form 1, 4, 5 and 6, and Vocational College students will begin face-to-face learning at their schools on 20 January 2021.

Meanwhile, Form 2 and Form 3 students will also begin their school term on 20 January 2021, but using the Home-Based Learning method, according to the suitability of teachers and students.

These students will return to school for face-to-face learning on 8 March 2021.

MOE has decided to postpone SPM, SVM, STPM and STAM 2020

MOE has also decided to postpone the dates of the major examinations this year. For SPM, SVM, and STAM, these examinations will start on 22 February 2021. Meanwhile, STPM examinations will start on 8 March 2021.

Further details regarding these public examinations will be announced soon.

To assist these students in preparing for their exams, MOE has decided that they will continue face-to-face learning in their respective schools from 20 January 2021.

MOE hopes that this space will benefit exam candidates who are affected by the school closures.
Mohd Radzi Md Jidin

New student admissions and SPM trial examinations

Regarding student admission to Full Boarding Schools, Religious National Secondary Schools, Technical Secondary Schools, Vocational Colleges and Royal Military Colleges, the implementation of Special School Admission Assessment (PKSK) for Form 1 and Form 4 students have been postponed to a date that will be announced later.

Meanwhile, for SPM trial examinations, coursework, and assessments scheduled until December 2020 which have not yet been completed, MOE will reschedule all assessments and will notify more details later.

Mohd Radzi also highlighted that the rescheduling of public examinations will not affect the admission of students to public tertiary education institutions, nor will it affect the admission of students to public institutions of higher learning applied though the UPU Online system operated by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE).

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