Back to School

It all began on the evening of the 16 th of March 2020 with the Prime Minister’s announcement of the
Movement Control Order (MCO), which was ultimately enforced two days later. After almost three months
of the movement control enforcement, we finally entered the recovery phase of the MCO on the 10th of
June. And subsequently, after weeks of rampant speculation and anticipation, the date of the reopening of
schools for Secondary 5 students was finally announced, which was the 24th of June. Much to my surprise,
this announcement drew some mixed reactions from students. While most students gladly welcomed this
notice for the sense of normalcy it promised to usher in after weeks of being forced to stay at home, some
were more skeptical of the logistics of such a feat. Personally, I was ecstatic at the prospect of returning to
school.

Although the first week of online classes started off as an interesting and novel experience, the
lessons soon began to feel a little mundane once the workload started to pile on perpetually. I have grown
accustomed to this unconventional method of learning, although online classes are still occasionally plagued
with connection issues or technical difficulties. Whilst we are definitely fortunate to have been able to attend
online classes over the past three months, I still think that nothing can really serve as an adequate
replacement for studying in an actual classroom. If anything, online lessons have shown me how essential
the atmosphere in the classroom is to put students in the right mindset when learning and studying. I am
grateful that all of my teachers have made an effort to keep their online lessons engaging and fresh, but I
simply have not been able to enjoy online lessons as much as lessons in school. Perhaps the reason for this
can be partially attributed to the lack of casual classroom chatter between students. Thus, I am eagerly
awaiting the morning of 24 June, when Secondary 5 students across the country will return to school.

Quite a few of my classmates seem to disagree with this sentiment, however. Some students think
that the regulations are so stringent that it might not even be worth the trouble to go back to the physical
classroom. Some feel that online classes can achieve desired results without subjecting students, teachers,
and staff members to greater risk of infection. Others simply dread taking the Mid-Year Examinations once
school reopens. Honestly, I can empathise with this line of thinking (I also believe that online examinations
are even more distressing than normal examinations, but I digress).

So why exactly are so many students eager to go back to school? Besides the aforementioned
drawbacks of online learning, I believe most students agree that learning requires a holistic approach, and
school provides opportunities to develop certain aspects of a student’s character in ways that online
communications will never be able to accomplish. Another issue that students struggle with during online
classes is difficulty in staying focused. After all, sometimes the allure of social media, games, or relaxing on
the couch can be incredibly difficult to resist, especially when contrasted with the ceaseless stream of essays,
quizzes and Google Forms. Who knew that too much convenience would be such a hindrance to
productivity! Finally, let’s not forget about the social element of school life, which will undoubtedly be
cherished by the Secondary 5 students as their remaining days in secondary school continue to dwindle.

Of course, even when school reopens for Secondary 5 students next Wednesday, things will
definitely not be the same as three months ago. For starters, we will be using different venues such as the
school hall, special classrooms, and even the library to conduct lessons in compliance with the social
distancing guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education. Staggered dismissal times will be implemented to
prevent crowding at the waiting area. Sporting events have been postponed indefinitely, and large-scale,
school-wide events must still resort to online platforms. In fact, it will probably be a long, long time before
things return to normal. At this juncture, we may very well accept this situation as the “new normal”.
Regardless of how students feel about dusting off their uniforms and heading back to school, I am sure most
will agree that this is a good indication that we are slowly but surely emerging from the cocoon of gloom
cast by the pandemic.

Pua E Rick
Secondary 5 Edison