Muhammad Nazmi Rosli giving out learning materials to a student at Long Lidung village, Sarawak. TOUGH times call for strong characters, especially if you are a teacher trying to educate students living in hard-to-reach areas during a pandemic. Though schools had to close when the movement control order (MCO) began, education was not brought to a halt. It is easy for a teacher to teach when the conditions are ideal - the classroom is comfortable, there are enough tables and chairs, every student has a book, stationery and can they see the board clearly. But in rural schools, more often than not, the situation is far from ideal. Little, if at all, is readily available.