EDUCATION IMPORTANT: Norainee (centre) announcing the commencement date of School in Hospital project at a press conference. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: The ‘School In Hospital’ project mooted by the deputy prime minister’s wife Puan Sri Norainee Abdul Rahman will begin at three government hospitals this June.
Norainee said as the patron of Yayasan Nurul Yaqeen, she felt the need to start this project after seeing so many young patients lagging behind in their studies when undergoing long-term treatment at the hospitals.
“As a mother myself, I am concerned about school-going children undergoing treatment not doing anything at the hospital wards. The children can easily get bored and lack motivation to catch up with their studies when they return to school,” she told reporters at her residence yesterday.
Norainee said the project would involve collaboration between Yayasan Nurul Yaqeen and the Education and Health ministries, aimed at avoiding students to lag behind in their studies while undergoing long treatment at the hospitals.
She said for a start, lessons would be conducted in specially set-up classes at the hospitals or by qualified teachers visiting the wards to teach the pre-school, primary and secondary students undergoing treatment.
“We propose that 11 teachers including special education teachers and supervisors to be permanently stationed at each hospital involved in the programme.
“The warded students will be taught according to the national school curriculum, but the teaching and learning methods used, to be suited to the students’ capability.”
Norainee said she got the idea for the programme after finding that many students had to sit for their examinations in hospital and after returning from her visit to three hospitals in Australia which had a similar programme.
Last year, 5,650 primary school pupils were awarded at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HLK), with 812 of them having to sit for their examination at the hospital.
Of the 516 secondary school students warded, 120 had to do the same.
Also present at the press conference was HKL director Datuk Dr Zaininah Mohd Zain and the foundation’s director, Nor Zanah Jamari. — Bernama