Wearing school uniforms during MCO homeschooling
Homeschooling during MCO can be made easier when students put on their school uniform
Image adapted from: Berita Harian
Working adults aren’t the only ones struggling to cope with the new work-from-home regimen as school students are also having trouble adapting. And with homeschooling not being commonly done here, we imagine parents would have a hard time too – especially if they’re not caught up with the syllabus.
However, this Malaysian mother has plenty of experience in teaching students as she’s a teacher herself. Since it’s second nature for her, it was no surprise that she did a bangin‘ job at homeschooling her 4 children when the Movement Control Order (MCO) came around.
It turns out that recreating a school environment at home is as simple as getting the children to put on their school uniforms and following their school’s timetable.
Uniforms, timetables, and even rehat – just like school
According to Berita Harian, Raja Haslina Raja Semail is an English and Science teacher at a local high school in Bukit Mertajam, Penang. She has 4 children with the youngest one being 10 years old while the oldest being 16. With MCO implemented, the family is now cooped up at home but Semail’s children still have to conduct daily revisions to ensure they’ll be on track with their studies once school reopens.
Image adapted from: Berita Harian
Shortly after the MCO began, her children started to express how much they missed their time at school. This lead to Semail’s idea of getting them to wear their school uniforms at home. This method has worked for many working adults to better get into the mood while working from home, so we imagine that it would have the same effect on these kids as well.
Image adapted from: Berita Harian
And just like at school, her kids start their “lessons” at 8AM sharp before having their rehat at 10AM. They call it a day sometime around 12PM to 2PM. Although kids may not find waking up early even on non-school days ideal, it certainly helps with their study-life balance.
Takes care of her other students through Whatsapp
Even though schools are closed during this period of time, Semail still takes her teaching duties seriously. Apart from her 4 students at home, she’s also in regular contact with the rest of her school students.
Image adapted from: Berita Harian
With the help of WhatsApp, she can reply to any questions or problems the students may have. She also gives out homework and assignments for the students to do while tracking their progress. While it’s definitely tough to keep tabs on all her students without being able see them in person, Semail finds a way to manage.
However, she acknowledges the fact that not all students have access to the internet and some may not even own electronic gadgets like phones or a computer. She understands their plight and does not force these students to get their homework done when they’re not even able to receive them or if their internet connection is just unforgivably slow.
Homeschooling during MCO
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown us into less than ideal situations but Malaysians have been making it work by coming up with creative solutions, whether it’s growing veggies in a bottle or running a 263km marathon inside the house.
It just goes to show that the lockdown has nothing on us, especially since it’s implemented for our safety and the nation’s future.
Read up more MCO and COVID-19 news here: