Education and Health Ministry must state what constitutes for a school closure and come clean on the delay in the school closure of SJK(C) Keng Koon in Parliament Batu Kawan, Penang compared to other schools in the nation that were closed after at least ONE COVID-19 positive case was detected amongst teachers or students

For days now parents of students studying in SJK(C) Keng Koon have been waiting for results of not only if their children are COVID-19 negative but if there has been any result on a school closure for SJK(C) Keng Koon.

A check with the school authorities and the Seberang Prai Selatan District Education office stated that there was no necessity to close the school even though there have been 15 students and one teacher who have been diagnosed with being infected with COVID-19.

This is alarming as earlier in January this year, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sultan Sulaiman 1 in Kuala Terengganu had been ordered to close for 14 days after 8 students were found to be positive.

In Malacca, the Tun Fatimah Form Six College in Durian Daun, was closed for a week after ONE teacher was tested positive.

SJK(C) Keng Koon has 16 children and a teacher found to have been infected and yet no instruction for a school closure. Why?

I concur with the Penang State Government for the Ministry of Education to consider the closure of schools with active COVID-19 cases.

The chain of command for a school’s closure appears to be from the District or State Health Department to the District Education Department and proceeding to inform the said school for a possible closure and not up to the school to close.

The Ministry of Education and Health must come clean on what constitutes a school’s closure as it has been seen in the past that for a school to close due to COVID-19, having even ONE person who is positive is adequate.

I urge both Ministries to be consistent in how instructions are meted out for school closures and that instruction to be made public for schools and parents. A delay in instructing schools to close after reporting active positive cases simply means that the authorities are allowing for more children, teachers, support staff and other workers in the school exposed to being infected. And this is a travesty.

The lives of children and teachers are most crucial and critical in a time like this and especially when Penang had reported a whopping 328 positive cases recorded yesterday.

I urge the Federal Government to treat all teachers in Penang, especially in schools with active clusters including SJK(C) Keng Koon, as primary frontliners to be vaccinated as soon as possible as Perak has started vaccinating teachers too.