KUALA LUMPUR: School students expressed relief and happiness that they would be able to resume school in October, proceed with major examinations as well as meet up with their friends and teachers.
Form Six semester two students are glad to be returning to school as they will be able to proceed with their final semester examinations in the same month.
Izyan Najihah Izwan, 19, said it was easier to have teachers present so that they could ask them questions directly.
"My teachers have been helpful throughout the online learning sessions but I prefer physical classes.
"As we are facing our final examinations at the end of October, this will give us time to revise what we have learnt throughout the semester with our teachers face-to-face," the Klang High School student told the New Straits Times.
She added that her class might be split into two and placed on rotation basis for both online and physical classes as there were 30 students in her class.
"According to my teacher, our class is too big to comply with the physical distancing procedures. But I believe that we are old enough to comply with the Standard-Operating Procedures (SOP), and most of my classmates have received their first Covid-19 vaccine while I am fully vaccinated.
Her classmate Siti Fatimah Mohd Isam expressed relief that there was no major postponement or extension to the examinations.
"Our finals which were scheduled for Oct 3 were extended to the end of the month to accommodate the re-opening of school. I was a bit worried there would not be enough time to study and revise.
"At school, we will be able to continue revising with our classmates because learning from your peers will help you understand a topic better," the 19-year-old said.
Despite having a complete set of study materials, Siti Fatimah admitted there were still topics that were difficult to understand when studying at home.
Izyan Najihah and Siti Fatimah will be among those from Form Six Semester Two, including Year 2 International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD) students, students in Semester 3 preparing for pre-university at national sports schools, special needs students and students preparing for international examinations who will begin attending physical classes in states under Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).
States under Phase Two of the NRP are Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Kelantan, Penang, Melaka, Sabah, Pahang, Perak, and Terengganu.
Meanwhile, Nur Narissa Najla Mohd Najib, 14, of SM Seri Kembangan said she was not ready to enter school grounds in March next year, unless students and teachers were fully vaccinated.
"It is still daunting to go back to school when there are teachers and students who have been public about not wanting to get vaccinated.
"There are no special preparations to school for now and I will continue to join classes online as usual," she said.
Seven-year-old Sarah Sofia Aminuddin is looking forward to going back to school as she has only one thing on her mind – being appointed a school prefect.
"My teacher explained about the school librarian and prefect positions, and I would like to try and being appointed once I am in Standard Two next year.
"I also cannot wait to meet my friends as we have mostly been chatting online," the SK Meru Dua student said.
Sekolah Islam Ar Razi private school student Nur Wafiyah Ardini Shahrin, 12, said she is looking forward to attending secondary school next year.
"The only thing that would help me prepare for secondary school is to get vaccinated. I think it would definitely increase my confidence knowing that I am less at risk," she said.
Residential school student Nurqamarina Mohd Nizam, 17, of the Kuala Klawang Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) in Negri Sembilan said going back to school meant she could focus better on her upcoming Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) trials.
"With online classes, you tend to lose focus and be less disciplined when you are in a less productive surrounding. But when you're at school, you feel more motivated when you see the people around you studying." she said.