KOTA KINABALU: Primary schools have cleaned up and disinfected their premises to welcome pupils back to class today.

A total of 271,707 Primary Five to Form Four and Lower Six students in government and private schools will resume schooling in Sabah today.

SJK(C) Chung Hwa Kota Kinabalu is one of the schools which is ready to welcome pupils back to school, starting from Year Five and Six pupils today (July 15) and Year One to Four on July 22.

Its headmaster, Datuk Eng Thiam Leong, said the school had to run morning and afternoon sessions as the number of pupils in each class has to be divided into two classrooms to maintain social distancing.

SJK(C) Chung Hwa Kota Kinabalu has more than 2,000 pupils.

“We had around 50 pupils in each class previously and they now have to be divided into two classes,” said Eng.
“Each class will not exceed 25 pupils.”

Social distancing clearly marked on the floor.

Previously, the school session for Year One to Three pupils ended at 12.30 pm, while Year Four to Six pupils had to attend tuition until 3.30 pm.

Now Year One and Three pupils will attend classes from 7.10 am to noon, followed by Year Four to Six pupils from 12.40 pm to 5 pm.

Right after class, pupils are required to sit at the basketball court while they wait to be picked up.
Meanwhile, recess has also been rescheduled to ensure social distancing.

“There will be different recess time for Year One to Six.
“Year One pupils will have half an hour of recess where they will be escorted by teachers to the canteen and consume their food in class, followed by Year Two, Year Three and so forth.”

Eng added that the school children would be provided with a piece of cloth to disinfect their desks and chairs when classes ended in preparation for the afternoon session.

While the government does not make it mandatory for pupils to wear face mask and face shield, he said the school encouraged students to wear the protective items.

SJKC Sin Hwa, SJKC Yuk Chin and SJKC Hing Hwa in Tawau have cleaned and disinfected classrooms, teachers’ rooms, toilets, canteens, halls, corridors as well as the surroundings, so that pupils could have a safer and more comfortable learning environment.

Principal of SJKC Sin Hwa, Chu Voon Fui and the chairman of the school board, Shim Nyuk Min thanked the health team leader of Tawau Municipal Council, councillor Datuk Chin Chee Syn who managed to seek help from the council frontliners to carry out disinfection at the school so that parents would not worry about sending their children back to school.

They also expressed gratitude to the district health department for fogging the school compound to prevent dengue fever.

Chu said the school was ready to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) stated by the Malaysian Education Ministry. As usual, all educators, staff, pupils and parents must put on face masks once entering the school compound. They must also undergo temperature test and use hand sanitizer.

She urged all parents to measure their children’s temperature at home and ensure they are in the pink of health before sending them to school every day.

“I also want to thank the school board of directors for installing sufficient number of sinks in the school compound for the pupils to wash their hands regularly,” she added.

Chu (third from left ) and Shim (fifth from left) presenting a certificate of appreciation to Chin and Maznah from the Tawau Municipal Council’s health team during the disinfection at SJKC Sin Hwa.

Meanwhile, the principal of SJKC Yuk Chin, Pang Dan Fung also expressed her gratitude to the council, especially Chin and the district health department for carrying out disinfection and fogging in the school compound including classrooms, canteen, walkways, hall and toilets in preparation for the school reopening.