GEORGE TOWN: It is all systems go for students in Penang who returned to face-to-face school sessions today after a six-month hiatus following a spike in Covid-19 cases.
State Education Department director Abdul Rashid Abdul Samad said the process went well in all schools statewide, which strictly observed the standard operating procedures (SOP) set.
"Students of some 106 secondary and primary schools statewide, including Sekolah Kebangsaan Pendidikan Khas (SKPK) and Integrated Special Education Programme (PPKI), attended the physical sessions this morning.
"Overall, everything proceeded smoothly and I am satisfied with the progress so far," he said.
Abdul Rashid said besides the 106 schools, an international school for examination year students, seven kindergartens and five schools for home-based Teaching and Learning (PdPR) also reopened today.
Checks by the New Straits Times at several schools on the island and mainland found that everything was in place and that all students who returned to physical classes complied with the SOP put in place such as checking in using the MySejahtera application, having their body temperatures checked, wearing of face masks and physical distancing among others.
Sixth former Sarah Humairah Mohd Zamri, 19, of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Datuk Haji Ahmad Badawi, said she was all geared up to return to school to prepare herself for the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination.
"It has been a while since I returned to school, and with STPM fast approaching, I am really looking forward to the face-to-face school session.
"Furthermore, I am fully vaccinated and I feel safer to be in school to seek knowledge," she said.