Haze: 2,646 schools to close on Friday (Sept 20)

PETALING JAYA: A total of 2,646 schools will be closed on Friday (Sept 20) due to the haze situation, affecting over 1.7 million students.

Sarawak has the most affected schools at 987, followed by 939 in Selangor, Penang (399), Kuala Lumpur (296) and Putrajaya (25), according to the Education Ministry in a statement Thursday (Sept 19).

It also said that all schools in Perak and Negri Sembilan will resume classes on Friday following improvements in the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings that had gone down lower than 200 in the states.

The Education Ministry said that the decision was made following improvement in the API readings in the states.

It also reminded parents, teachers and students that the situation is subject to change and that officials will regularly update the list of affected schools and districts on its Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram and official website.

An Education Ministry circular dated Jan 15,2019, states that schools must stop all outdoor activities when the API level reaches 100 and above.

Schools are ordered to be closed immediately if API readings are 200 and above.

An API reading from 0 to 50 is categorised as good, 51 to 100 (moderate), 101 to 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy) and above 300 (hazardous).

All government and private schools in Selangor must be closed Thursday and Friday.

As at 1pm Wednesday (Sept 18), the Education Ministry said 1,484 schools in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Sarawak, Negri Sembilan, Penang and Perak involving 1,003,310 students were closed.

The Higher Education Department has advised all tertiary institutions in states with API readings of 200 and more to postpone all lectures as this could affect the staff and students’ health.