PETALING JAYA: With schools set to reopen in less than a month, parents want the option to keep their children at home.

       Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the Education Ministry should not be harsh on parents who refuse to send their children to school.

       “Give parents the option to choose, but do not reprimand them if they don’t,” she said.

       She added that parents are concerned about their children’s safety as the number of new Covid-19 cases is still high even though most of them are Categories 1 and 2 (asymptomatic/mild symptoms), and because of the reluctance of some teachers to be vaccinated.

       “Some learning can still take place at home if parents are diligent about it,” she said, adding that despite all this, schools should still reopen.

       In Johor Baru, Boey Jyh Yang, 35, said he would only allow his three children, who are between the ages of eight and 14 years, back to school when they are fully vaccinated.

       “I know that education is very important but so is safety,” he said.

       “If the number of Covid-19 cases in Johor is still high when school reopens for all students, I still would not send my children to school as I am worried about their health,” he added.

       However, father of two, Amzun Mat Yaman, 45, said it would be best for his seven-year-old daughter to return to school as soon as it reopens so that she would be able to catch up with her peers.

       “Due to financial difficulties after losing my job last year, I could not afford to reload the credit on my phone for my daughter to connect to the Internet for online classes.

       “She missed a lot of classes because of this, and I am worried she might be left behind if this continues.

       “I hope she goes back to school as soon as possible,” he said, adding that he would make sure that his daughter takes all the necessary precautions while at school.