PETALING JAYA: Schools in most states will reopen today as air quality improves, while those in Johor and parts of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur will remain closed due to the haze.
Melaka education, higher education, and religious affairs committee chairman Datuk Rahmad Mariman said all educational institutions under the Education Ministry in the state will resume operations after Air Pollutant Index (API) readings fell below 100 yesterday.
He urged school administrators to ensure smooth operations and compliance with ministry guidelines, while advising parents to monitor their children’s health and seek medical attention if they experience symptoms related to air pollution.
In Perak, schools will also reopen, with state education, higher education, youth, and sports committee chairman Datuk Khairudin Abu Hanipah saying API readings at all monitoring stations in the state were below 150 as at 2pm yesterday.
“The weather is better than it was and we hope it will continue to improve and not affect children’s learning at school,” he said.
However, Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said schools under four district education offices in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur will remain closed.
The closures affect schools under the Bangsar Pudu, Hulu Langat, Gombak, and Petaling Perdana district education offices.
Schools in other districts in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, as well as those in Melaka, Penang, Putrajaya, Labuan, Perak, Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis, Sabah and Sarawak, will operate as usual, she said in a Facebook post.
Fadhlina urged parents and school communities to refer to official announcements from the ministry, state education departments, and district education offices for updates.
The ministry has directed state education directors to establish haze monitoring task forces to determine school operating statuses daily based on API readings issued by the Environment Department.
Meanwhile, several school assessments and examinations scheduled for today in Johor have been postponed following the extension of school closures in the state.
The Johor Education Department said the affected assessments included the Year Four Learning Matrix and the Special School Admission Assessment (PKSK).
“The assessments will be postponed and rescheduled in accordance with decisions made by the Examinations Board and the Johor Education Department.
“The new date for PKSK will be announced later, while teachers and officers involved in the assessment are not required to attend,” it said in a statement yesterday.
Schools and assessment centres must inform parents, guardians and candidates of the changes, it added.
The department said teachers and school staff members can work from home, following consideration by the Education Minister, while officers at state and district education offices will continue working as usual.
Home-based teaching and learning will be implemented throughout the closure period.
For boarding schools, permission for students to return home will be subject to the respective principals’ decisions, based on risk assessments and consideration of students’ safety and welfare.
On Saturday, Johor education and information committee chairman Dr Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali announced that all schools and educational institutions in the state will remain closed until Oct 16 due to the haze.
He said the decision took into account weather conditions, air pollution levels and potential health risks.
