State education chiefs told to decide on school haze closures

 The education ministry orders state education departments to form haze monitoring committees involving state and district education officers.

Schools in Johor will remain closed until Friday, while those in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu will stay open from tomorrow. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

The education ministry is leaving it to the respective states to decide on school closures due to worsening haze nationwide. State education directors have been directed to form haze monitoring committees involving state and district education officials to monitor daily air pollution readings.

“Based on the information and data provided by this committee, the state education directors will make decisions regarding school operations – whether the schools will operate as usual or operate under home-based teaching and learning,” the ministry said in a statement.

An announcement will be made before 2:45 pm on Saturday (schools in Group A) and on Sunday (for Group B) regarding the status of school operations. On other days, the directors will announce the school’s operational status before 5:45 pm, based on the API readings.

(Group A schools are those with a Friday-Saturday weekend, and Group B with a Saturday-Sunday weekend.)

Universities, polytechnics and community colleges have already been given autonomy to decide on learning arrangements due to the haze.

Earlier today, the Johor state government said schools and other educational institutions in the state will remain closed for five more days from Monday due to deteriorating air quality across the state. However, the education ministry said schools in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu will continue as usual tomorrow as air quality remains under control. - FMT