The government’s plan to move to online teaching to alleviate traffic congestion in the city during the Asean summits in May and October has come under fire from a transport expert who describes it as absurd.
Rosli Khan said the education ministry should instead seek to understand why school areas were facing traffic jams in the first place.
“One key reason is that many urban parents choose to drive their children to school in private vehicles instead of using school buses,” he told MalaysiaNow.
“Unfortunately, the education ministry seems unable to view road safety and traffic education beyond the classroom context.”
Rosli was responding to a statement by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek that her ministry was working to identify the schools that would be affected to facilitate the Asean summits and reduce congestion on the roads.
“It is not a problem. We are ready. We want to ensure that the Asean programme goes smoothly and prevent traffic jams,” she was reported as saying.
Foreign minister Mohamad Hasan previously said that a proposal for online classes would be brought to the Cabinet, ahead of the Asean Summit in May and the Asean Summit with Dialogue Partners in October. Malaysia is chairman of the Asean bloc this year.
His comments followed the official visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, which saw the closure of 17 roads in the Klang Valley and heavy traffic build-up as a result.
Mohamad had apologised for the situation, saying he would propose that personnel from the relevant departments be allowed to work from home during the Asean summits, and for classes to be conducted online to reduce congestion in the Klang Valley.
Rosli said there would be no need to close any roads if the government was more efficient in managing and planning urban traffic.
Former education director-general Alimudin Mohd Dom however said that the plan was a “win-win” solution as Malaysians were familiar with PdPR.
“For nearly two years during Covid-19, our students used online classes,” he said.
“The schools and teachers already have experience in this, and internet coverage in the city is not like it is in rural areas.
“Of course, the schools and parents involved will begin preparing ahead of time to allow their children to continue studying.
“Students with no devices can use the facilities at community centres.”
Rosli however cautioned the ministry against going along with the will of politicians or being used as a tool to gain support or popularity.
“Education must remain a neutral, independent space focused on the growth and development of our children – not a bargaining chip in policy decisions meant to please certain individuals or groups.
“The well-being of students, teachers, and the broader school community should never be compromised for political convenience or short-term gain,” he said.
Malaysia implemented online schooling for the first time in 2020, when widespread infections forced the closure of schools and other public spaces under the movement control orders.
Challenges faced by teachers and students included the stark digital divide where many pupils had no access to digital devices or internet connection.
Students also became demotivated and were unable to concentrate due to a lack of face-to-face interaction with teachers and classmates as well as unconducive learning environments at home.