With classrooms taking place online, students who lack internet access at home are sadly missing out on lessons.
However, a teacher from Sibu went out of her way to visit her pupils that had no internet, to make sure none of them are left behind in school.
Mujalifah Kassim, or Cikgu Muja, goes to her students’ house every Friday to check and mark their homework. The 39-year-old Bahasa Malaysia teacher told Harian Metro that she has been doing this since the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced the closure of schools from 9th November to 18th December.
Cikgu Muja said that she took the initiative due to the absence of smartphones, laptops and internet access among rural students residing outside Sibu Jaya. The SMK Sibu Jaya teacher stated, “I don’t want them to feel left out because of that. Hopefully, by going to their houses, this will give them some motivation to continue studying, despite not having complete facilities or equipment to attend online classes.”
The heartwarming story of Cikgu Muja went viral after a former student of hers took a photo of her teaching at the front gate. As the photo went around, she said that she didn’t expect netizens to question why families would let her stay outside in the hot weather.
However, the teacher insisted that she has personally rejected their invitations to enter their homes, further adding, “It’s because I don’t have to take a lot of time when marking, checking and commenting on my students’ homework.” She added that it’s better the way it is, since she has to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) set by the Ministry of Health (MOH), despite being in a green zone.
Her story proves that a teacher’s sacrifice to impart their knowledge onto their students shouldn’t go unnoticed. Thank you, Cikgu Muja!
Sources: Harian Metro, Siakap Keli Facebook Page.
