PETALING JAYA: It’s back to school for most youngsters nationwide starting Monday (March 21) and excitement filled the air in schools across the country as pupils returned to face-to-face learning for the 2022/2023 academic year.

       For some, it was seeing old friends again and it was back to following the standard operating procedures (SOPs) practised in schools, such as maintaining a physical distance from each other.

       But these practices are all new for Year One pupils, who for the first time in the country’s history, start their schooling in March instead of January.