KUCHING: Primary 1 teachers who are teaching children affected by the Covid-19 pandemic will have to prepare a catch-up plan, said Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
The Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister said this catch-up plan would be related to basic literacy skills such as reading, writing, and counting.
“We will hear from these teachers about the scenario of Primary 1 students this year compared with the scenario of Primary 1 students before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Before this, we find that children entering Primary 1 after undergoing ECE are already able to read because ECE prepares their basic literacy in terms of reading, writing, and counting. When they reach Primary 1, the teachers do not have much of a problem,” she said.
Fatimah said ECE also taught the children to socialise.
“We find this element is lacking when they are unable to attend school (such as during the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said during a press conference at the Baitul Makmur II Building here today.
She said that the effectiveness of ECE was hindered by the use of online methods made necessary by the Covid-19 pandemic, explaining that at a young age, face-to-face interaction between teachers and children was very important.
At the same time, Fatimah emphasised that child-centred education should be implemented.
“Taskas (nurseries) and tadikas (kindergartens) are very child-focused and each child has his/her own portfolio on his/her development in literacy, behaviour and ability to socialise,” she said.
She said applying child-centred education facilitated the implementation of intervention and enrichment programmes.
“So we hope this will be continued when the children enter Primary 1, especially because of their experience during this Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
