PUTRAJAYA (Sept 14): Students of higher learning institutions (IPTs) will be allowed to return to campus in stages from Oct 15, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad announced today.
However, she said permission is only given to fully-vaccinated students in all categories and involves all phases of the National Recovery Plan.
She said the process will also be carried out in compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the higher education sector.
Noraini also said that only fully-vaccinated academic and non-academic staff would be allowed on campus.
“This will create a safe social community as well as a Phase 4 of the PPN environment on campus. The strict SOPs must be complied with to manage the in and out movements,” she told a virtual press conference today.
Noraini said most of the total 1.2 million IPT students had undergone online teaching and learning (PdP) for more than three consecutive semesters due to the Covid-19 pandemic, where the safety aspect of operations of IPTs was highly emphasised.
She said the decision to allow students to return to campus was made after taking into account the views of the National Security Council (MKN), Ministry of Health (MoH), IPT management, representatives of private higher learning institutions (IPTS) as well as IPT student unions and associations.
Noraini also announced a 20% fee reduction to all Malaysian students at public universities for the first semester of 2021/2022 academic session, which will benefit 555,340 students through an initiative worth RM175 million. -BERNAMA -The Edge Markets