Haze: Education Ministry coordinating school operating procedures under new action plan
Malaysia's Ministry of Education has implemented a new coordinated action plan to manage school operations during haze events based on Air Pollutant Index (API) readings. The policy mandates school closures when API levels exceed 200, while allowing parents discretion to keep children home for health reasons.
Why it matters
This policy balances the need for educational continuity with the urgent public health requirements posed by recurring regional air pollution.
PUTRAJAYA, Oct 14 — The Ministry of Education (MOE) has begun coordinating school operating procedures based on the National Haze Action Plan (PTJK) to ensure that decisions on school closures are made in a more systematic manner, taking into account Air Pollutant Index (API) readings and health advice.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek, said that under the coordinated procedures, outdoor activities would be postponed when the API reading exceeds 100, while schools would be closed when the reading exceeds 200, in accordance with the PTJK.
“We need to understand that API readings can change within a short period.
“Closing schools several days in advance without taking these changes into account could result in children losing learning time even after air quality has returned to normal,” she said in a Facebook post today.
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