Take greater effort to keep children in school, Putrajaya told

A Unicef report has found that up to 7% of upper secondary students have opted to not return to school.

PETALING JAYA: The government, as well as teachers, have been urged to take greater effort to make sure that schoolchildren keep up with their education despite Covid-19 restrictions.

Education activists told FMT greater use of television for delivering lessons, and free tuition services should be provided for children of poor families. More libraries and community centres could be built in low-income areas.

Wan Ya Shin, social policy manager at the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, said education was an important factor in helping children to build their future.

She said the government could look at building community centres and libraries in low-income areas where students could visit to access computers and free tuition services.

As the United Nations children’s fund Unicef had found that many families lacked computers for online learning, she said the government could consider using television as a medium.

“Most houses have TVs, even in poor areas, and it would be an improvement over the mobile devices that so many children are using,” she said.

A recent Unicef report on 500 low-income families in the Klang Valley said children in nearly a fifth of families were reported to have lost interest in schooling since the movement control order period, with 7% of upper secondary students opting not to return to classes.

Tunku Munawirah Putra, honorary secretary of the Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia, said teachers and school leaders should have a profile of children at high risk of dropping out and help them, perhaps with vocational education “as it’s highly likely that they are forced to find jobs to help support the family”.

Schools should offer make-up classes during the school holidays for those students who may need extra help because of disruptions caused by repeated lockdowns.

Harry Tan Huat Hock, secretary-general of the National Union of the Teaching Profession, agreed that extra classes may be needed as learning had been disrupted even after schools were allowed to reopen, further jeopardising students.

He said that restrictions on social interaction had sapped the enjoyment of schooling, while teachers faced extra pressure to make classes engaging.

“Parents have to always engage with their children’s teachers to find means and ways to overcome this problem. This is a matter whereby everyone involved must play a role,” he said.

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