PUTRAJAYA – All educational institutions under the Education Ministry (MoE) which were affected by the floods, as well as those that have been turned into temporary flood relief centres, resumed normal operations today.
Minister Fadhlina Sidek said between November 11 last year and yesterday, a total of 133 primary schools, 23 secondary schools, and one Permata centre in Kelantan, Pahang, Terengganu, Selangor, Sabah, Sarawak, Johor, and Perak were impacted by the northeast monsoon flood disaster.
During the same period, she said 207 educational institutions under MoE in 10 states namely Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Johor, Kedah, and Sabah were turned into relief centres – including 173 primary schools, 33 secondary schools, and one vocational college.
As at 4pm yesterday, the MoE Flood Reporting Dashboard indicated that nine primary schools and one secondary school in Kelantan, Pahang, and Sarawak were still affected by the floods, she told a press conference here today.
At present, she said one primary school each in Kelantan and Pahang is still being used as a relief centre.
“The relevant state education departments and district education offices have taken appropriate measures to ensure schools can operate normally, such as relocating stock or surplus furniture and textbooks from schools within the same district to those in need,” she said.
Fadhlina said the state departments and district offices are also assessing the damage suffered by the flood-affected educational institutions under MoE.
“According to preliminary reports, the estimated damage from these floods exceeds RM1 million, involving damage to furniture, fences, and physical structures in the affected states, as well as immovable assets in Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang,” she said.
The minister said MoE also assists those institutions, teachers, and personnel affected by the floods, such as in the case of a student who was reported drowned in Kelantan where a takaful claim of RM5,500 per person was given to the victim’s family.
She said each flood-affected school or school turned into relief centres will also receive aid of RM2,000 from Tun Hussein Onn Teachers Foundation, in addition to having volunteers from MoE to help with post-flood cleaning.
“The Smart Support Team is also assisting students who are victims at the relief centres in dealing with trauma and unstable emotions based on the MoE Circular No. 8/2016: Guidelines for Management of Teaching and Learning Due to Disaster,” she said.
Fadhlina said that students affected by the floods are allowed to attend school in casual clothing.
“For children affected by the floods, whose clothes have either been washed away or are a total loss, resulting in them having no school uniforms, we agree that they can come to school in appropriate casual clothing,” she said.
On the preparations for public examinations, Fadhlina said a total of 4,058 candidates for the Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia will sit for the examination starting today, and none of them were housed at any flood relief centres.
For Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, which will begin on January 8, Fadhlina said 395,870 candidates will be sitting for the examination, and only one candidate is still in a relief centre in Johor.
As of yesterday, she said no candidate for the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, which will begin on January 9, is housed at any flood relief centres.
When asked about school operations amid the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases, Fadhlina said the MoE has issued a reminder to all educational institutions under its purview to continue adhering to the standard operating procedures issued by the National Security Council from time to time.
All MoE educational institutions are also required to practise prevention measures for Covid-19 and other respiratory infections as advised by the Health Ministry, she added. – January 2, 2024