Closing Schools For The Asean Summit Unnecessary Misguided

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 Instead of resorting to such drastic measures, the government should be looking into why school zones are traffic hotspots.
Hosting the Asean summit is a positive step for Malaysia, enhancing our diplomatic profile and regional engagement. However, it should not come at the cost of disrupting daily life, and especially our education system.
A well-organised city should not need to shut down schools or major roads for such events.
If urban planning and traffic management were handled more effectively and efficiently, these disruptions could easily be avoided.
Why not Putrajaya?
The logical choice for hosting high-level regional and international events, such as the Asean summit, should be Putrajaya — our administrative capital.
It was designed for government functions and is fully equipped to accommodate international delegations.
Shifting the venue there would keep Kuala Lumpur, our commercial heartbeat, running smoothly without need for road closures or traffic reroutes.
Flawed justification for school closures
The education ministry recently said it is prepared to close certain schools and implement home-based learning during the Asean summit in May and October. The approach appears both excessive and counterproductive.
Instead of resorting to such drastic measures, the ministry should be looking into why school zones are traffic hotspots in the first place.
One of the root causes is an overreliance on private vehicles for student transportation.
Many parents opt to drive their children rather than use school buses, leading to heavy congestion during school drop-off and pick-up hours.
Addressing this issue requires research, planning and proactive policies — not knee-jerk shutdowns.
Rethinking priorities in education policy
It is concerning that the education ministry appears to view traffic and road safety merely through a classroom lens, missing a good opportunity to educate through real-world practices.
Promoting school bus use, for instance, would not only ease traffic but also teach students environmental awareness, responsibility and community-mindedness.
How about encouraging students to cycle to schools, by redesigning the school layout with dedicated bicycle and electric scooter lanes?
Education should foster critical thinking and practical solutions, not bow to political whims.
Decisions impacting schools must be grounded on educational value, not optics or convenience for political figures.
In short, our schools should remain apolitical spaces, focused on nurturing young minds — not pawns in broader policy and political games.
The welfare of students, educators, and the school community must always take priority over temporary, politically motivated decisions. - FMT
The author can be reached at: [email protected]
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT

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