PETALING JAYA: While most parents are excited about reverting to a school year that begins in January, they also worry about the effects of a shorter school year (needed to make way to start school in January) on their children.
Sales manager Jacqueline Chew, 44, said she “can’t wait” for the school year to resume from January.
She said students have been wasting time waiting for the new school year to begin in March after their final exams in December.
She said there have been cases of students skipping school over January and February or schools filling up time by organising sports activities as lessons would have ended by December the previous year.
Sheikh Faisal Sheikh Mansor, 49, said he was concerned about the pressure on students sitting for the 2025 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), including his daughter.
“If the 2025 academic year starts in February, Form Five students will have less than a year until the SPM exams.
“They may also be affected in 2024 when they are in Form Four as their classes and holidays may be shortened to reduce the deficit to make way for the January opening in 2026,” he said.
Another parent, who wanted to be known as Murugan, also welcomed the January resumption of the school year.
“For years, we have been following this system and I don’t see why it cannot go back to the norm since schools are already back in session,” he said.
On the shortening of the 2024 and 2025 academic year, he said sacrifices had to be made and teachers would have to ensure that education was delivered fairly to the 2024/2025 batch.
Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education chairman Mak Chee Kin said it was a “good call” to begin in January once again.
However, he said it would be better if this could begin in 2025.
