The Ministry of Education is considering having classrooms to accommodate a maximum of 16 to 17 students at a time, once school sessions nationwide resume. Senior Minister of Education Dr Mohd Radzi Jidin stated that the ministry had carried out field trials to determine the appropriate number of students based on the size of the class to ensure social distancing practices are complied with.
He added this would be among the standard operating procedures (SOP) to be detailed for school management post-COVID-19. “Normally, there would be 35 students in a classroom but we cannot have many students under the context of social distancing in the new phase,” said Mohd Radzi during an interview with TV3 on 11 May 2020.
“This would mean that the total number of students in the previous class will have to be split into two, and we also need to see how teaching can be carried out – for instance, having the class conducted in the school hall.”
Additionally, the minister also stated that school canteens would also see a stricter SOP in place. This is to ensure that it would not be congested during recess and to prevent the risk of potential infection among students.
“Food will have to be packed. We will have a guideline for the canteens which involves when and where the students can eat,” he added.
(Source: Berita Harian | Images: Bernama)
