Schools must comply with haze guidelines, says Fadhlina

 

Fadhlina Sidek said schools are not allowed to conduct any outdoor activities if the air pollutant index reading exceeds 100, which is considered ‘unhealthy’.

KUANTAN: Schools must comply with the guidelines issued by the education ministry on the haze, which has begun to affect some parts of the country, says Fadhlina Sidek.

The education minister said the guidelines stipulated that schools cannot conduct outdoor activities if the air pollutant index (API) reading exceeds 100, which is considered ‘unhealthy’.

“We often stress that these guidelines apply to everyone and must be followed to avoid any untoward incidents,” she told reporters after an event here.

There were 16 areas in nine states recording unhealthy API readings this morning, with Cheras, in Kuala Lumpur, the highest at 164.

“We will seek the advice of the health ministry from time to time to recommend whether to close (schools) or wear face masks and so on,” she said.

Meanwhile, on the shortage of teachers, Fadhlina said it was only a temporary problem and the ministry was working together with the education service commission to address the issue.

“The shortage is temporary, we have just completed interviews for one-off recruitment and are currently in the process of hiring on a contract basis,” she said.

The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) recently said there was a shortage of more than 20,000 teachers nationwide. - FMT