SMOOTH START TO PDPR FOR KOTA SETAR, PENDANG STUDENTS

ALOR SETAR, March 29 (Bernama) -- Home-Based Teaching and Learning (PdPR), which began today for students in the districts of Kota Setar and Pendang due to the hot weather, has been running smoothly.

Checks found that most parents are assisting their children with PdPR from home using various platforms such as Google Meet, Google Classroom and the WhatsApp application to ensure that lessons continue uninterrupted despite not attending school.

Housewife Shahira Azizan, 32, said that although she was not entirely in favour of PdPR as she was concerned that teachers’ delivery might not be fully conveyed to students, she accepted it for the safety and health of her nieces.

“I look after two nieces, Khayla Zahra Mohd Zahir, 11, and Khayla Zulfa Mohd Zahir, 9. Personally, I would prefer them to go to school as learning is more effective, but I understand the weather is extremely hot, so I do not want to take any risks.

“I also have friends who said they face constraints, for example when a family has three children attending PdPR but only one device. So there will be some challenges, but it still needs to be done,” she said when met at her home in Alor Setar today.

Khayla Zahra, a Year Five pupil of Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent, said she was better prepared for PdPR this time compared with her first experience during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“The first time I had PdPR, I felt a bit awkward because I had never studied using a phone and the teacher was not in front of me like in school, but over time I understood and became more comfortable,” she said.

Another housewife, Noraini Jusoh, 45, said the decision to implement PdPR was appropriate given the recent hot weather, especially at midday, which could lead to heatstroke.

“If children are at school, they may be exposed to the heat while walking around the school compound or taking part in outdoor activities. At least with PdPR, they can study more comfortably at home,” she said.

Yesterday, the Kedah State Education Department said in a statement that the three-day PdPR was implemented for schools in Kota Setar and Pendang after both districts recorded Level 2 temperatures of 37°C to 40°C for three consecutive days.

-- BERNAMA