KUALA LUMPUR: AFTER four months of staying at home and attending online classes, Lili Afiya Shahrul Anuar, 9, is raring to return to school.
The Year 3 pupil of SK Taman Ria in Sungai Petani, Kedah, said she didn't enjoy studying at home. "Studying at home is hard as my house can get noisy. The Internet is slow and I have to share one smartphone with my siblings for school work.
"I'm so happy to go back to school as I can study better."
Lili Afiya is among the thousands of students who will return to their classrooms when school resumes in stages from July 15.
Ainul Mardhiah Rosedi, 11, a Year 5 pupil of SK Jejawi in Kangar, Perlis, said she was looking forward to meeting her friends.
"Apart from catching up with my studies, I get to meet my friends too.
"I'm a bit afraid of crowded places, but I'm sure the school has planned everything so that we are safe."
However, not all pupils are looking forward to returning to school.
Some have expressed reservations about safety, with the threat of Covid-19 still on their minds.
Mohamad Fahim Arif, 14, a Form 2 student of SMK Tunku Panglima Besar in Kulim, Kedah, said he would prefer to maintain online classes for now.
"I actually prefer studying at home. I feel safer.
"I'm scared to go to school and catching the virus, even though people say the situation is under control. I hope we can stick to one thing, either going to class fully or online learning.
"The hybrid system, where we go to school on alternate days and attend online classrooms when at home, might be a hassle... but let's see how it turns out."
Pearl Wong, 42, from Johor, said she was concerned about her son, 15, resuming classes at an international school in Gelang Patah.
"However, I believe the school is doing all it can to prioritise safety. The school reopened a few days ago and only my son's group was allowed to return to school.
"One of the school procedures involved disinfecting study tables every few hours. They also sanitise the tables before each class, during recess and after class.
"The school gave each student a care package last Monday, which included two packs of antiseptic wipes, five three-ply face masks and one cloth face mask.
"Everything is under control. We just need to see how things go."
Yuliati Abdul Wahab, 42, said the kindergarten her daughter attends had been proactive when it came to hygiene and safety.
"They have temperature checks every morning and regular sanitising even before it was made a requirement (due to Covid-19), because there was a case of hand, foot and mouth disease before this.
"It will be a challenge to ensure the kids adhere to the new rules, but I believe the school is up to the challenge."