He said he had received numerous complaints personally as well as on social media from teachers who are unhappy with Putrajaya’s decision to cut short the term holidays.

“I am personally saddened and disappointed that the views of teachers were not considered in this important decision announced by the education ministry today.

“The teachers who have been teaching from home during the movement control order, conducting online classes every day, dedicatedly sending students their homework through Whatsapp, recording videos for their students; they are all important ‘frontliners’ in the education sector as the world was attacked by the virus.

“Has the government and education ministry forgotten the services of these frontliners just because the number of Covid-19 cases has decreased today?” he said in a statement.

Maszlee urged the ministry to take into account the views of the National Union of the Teaching Profession, West Malaysia Malay Teachers Union and similar organisations to ensure their opinions are considered with policy changes.

He said the ministry needed to be reacquainted with teachers and to listen and acknowledge their professional opinions.

Earlier today, the education ministry announced amendments to the academic calendar, with the second mid-term holidays and year-end holidays, in particular, significantly reduced.

Schools in Group A (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu) will have 14 days off instead of 42 at the year-end while schools in Group B (Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Federal Territories) will have 13 days off instead of 41.

It said this was to help plan the teaching and learning plan for students after schools were forced to remain shut for three months.

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