PUTRAJAYA: All schools and kindergartens in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Penang will be closed for two days until Friday due to the haze, Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik (pix) announced today.
He also said that announcements on the closure of schools will be made by 6pm daily at the latest.
Teachers of the closed schools can opt to work from home or at the schools, he told a press conference in conjunction with the Meet and Greet Malaysian Warriors and Malaysian Tigers teams, here.
As at 7pm today, the Air Pollutant Index (API) in several states was at the ‘’very unhealthy’’ level. For example, it was 256 in Johan Setia, Klang, Selangor and 254 in Balik Pulau, Penang.
Maszlee said headmasters and principals are permitted to announce the closure of schools if the haze worsens and they just have to inform the district education office and the state education department.
He said if the pupils or students are at the schools at the time that they are declared closed, they can remain and the teaching will go on as scheduled until the end of the school session but they may be allowed to leave if their parents or guardians come to fetch them.
“Schools do not have to replace the days that they are closed because the closure is categorised as a disaster shutdown,” he said.
Maszlee said the decision to close any institution of higher learning rests with their respective administrations. — Bernama
