Schools affected by Asean Summit should be given holiday - PIBGN

Several schools located near the venue of the Asean Summit 2025 should be given holidays to ensure the smooth running of the event and for the safety and comfort of all parties involved.

National Parents and Teachers Association Council (PIBGN) president Ali Hasan said occasional holidays are not only for logistics management, but also provide relief to parents and teachers who do not have to face traffic congestion.

“The Asean Summit usually involves many activities that alter routes and traffic, with the surrounding areas likely to be under strict control.

“Therefore, granting an occasional holiday helps to avoid traffic congestion that could cause students to be late or caught in dangerous situations, in addition to providing comfort to students and teachers,” he told Bernama.

Ali said the occasional holiday can also be a form of respect for Malaysia’s role as a host, as well as enhancing students’ understanding of the importance of Asean as a bloc that provides many benefits to its member countries, including in terms of economy, politics, and social aspects.

He also views the holiday as a relevant step compared to the implementation of home-based teaching and learning, which is sometimes limited by technology access, especially for low-income families.

Ali also emphasised that such an occasional holiday is only recommended for schools that are really involved or are near the main Asean meeting venue and does not involve nationwide closure.

According to the Education Regulations (Term, Days, and School Holidays) 1998 (Amendment) 2021, such holidays refer to days approved by the registrar as holidays based on applications by headmasters or principals due to any official school events or celebrations, including observances, ceremonies, or religious celebrations that are either declared by the government or not.

Headmasters or principals may designate specific days as occasional holidays not exceeding four days in any academic calendar.

If the headmaster or principal provides reasonable and practical reasons, the registrar may consider approving more than one day of such a holiday for a specific official school event or celebration.

The 46th Asean Summit will take place on May 26 and 27 and will bring together 10 leaders of member countries to discuss regional issues and foster economic cooperation while advocating for the principles of inclusivity and sustainability.

Suggestion for SPM students

Meanwhile, the National Union of Teachers of Malaysia (NUTP) urged the Education Ministry to consider a more targeted approach to ensure that the learning process would not be disrupted.

Union secretary-general Fouzi Singon said the government could consider allowing only students who will be sitting for SPM 2025 to attend face-to-face classes, while other students can participate online.

“This is because they will be facing the SPM trial exam soon and need to catch up on the syllabus... so this time is very critical for them.

“For other students, the (online) method can be implemented, and this does not solely involve online learning but rather provides modules or assignments to students with minimal communication with the pupils,” Fouzi told Bernama.

Commenting on the suggestion for an occasional holiday, Fouzi said a complete school closure is less effective as it can jeopardise efforts to catch up with the syllabus and cause time loss for teachers and students.

Meanwhile, he hopes that the Education Ministry can issue clear guidelines early so that schools can make adequate preparations.

- Bernama

Govt yet to decide on 'work and school from home' during Asean summit

COMMENT | Time to teach all major languages in schools

Mandarin, Tamil, Thai, Khmer to be taught in schools as elective languages

Govt ready to shift to home-based schooling during Asean summit