KUCHING: Most parents prefer school sessions to proceed as planned but with minimal outdoor activities to keep children away from the scorching heat.
They made their opinions known after Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said the Cabinet would discuss whether there is a need to extend the current school holidays in view of the heat wave in the country.
There has been much concern following reports of several cases of children suffering and dying from severe dehydration.
But parents are generally not overly worried, saying schools could go on as usual.
In the same vein however they suggested that school activities such as co-curriculum and other outdoor activities be suspended or minimised to avoid children being under the hot sun.
Antonia Williayam, 42
There is no need for the government to extend the school holidays as it will have a big impact on the education system itself. We should consider the time given for teachers to complete the syllabus and in time for the students going for national exams. However, they can consider reducing the time at school and there should be no extra co-curricular activities. Awareness of heat stroke should also be widely spread across the nation.
Adelin Sentika Juka, 32
No, I do not think extending the school holidays is a good idea because this will disrupt the learning structure and also will be a burden for teachers to complete the syllabus. The most we can do is to remind children to drink water often under the hot weather and avoid prolonged outdoor school activities.
Ivy Mady, 47
In my view, as a parent, there is no need for more holidays. School activities need to be suspended due to the hot weather and there must be greater awareness among children to drink water in the heat. So, we need to remind our children to stay hydrated always to avoid getting heatstroke. If they extend the holidays, this could compromise the education system.
Salbiah Loncheng, 49
I think it would be good to extend the school holidays. Nowadays, with global warming, the weather is getting hotter, causing children to experience heatstroke. For me as a parent, it worries me that my children will have to go to school under the hot weather.
Micky Laah, 51
For me, it would be good to have our children stay at home, then again, they will have very limited time to be in school and their school syllabus need to be finished on time. So, I think we can go ahead with the school session. It’s just that we need to limit the number of activities at school and also to keep our children always hydrated.
