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BATU PAHAT - Schools in Johor will only be closed if the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading exceeds 200, in accordance with the standard operating procedures (SOP) set by the Johor Education Department (JPN).
State Education and Information Committee chairman Dr Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali said district education offices (PPD) and schools had been instructed to keep track of the latest API readings and update the information regularly so that updates could be conveyed promptly to parents, students and teachers.
He said several districts recorded unhealthy API readings this morning, namely Segamat (157), Batu Pahat (157), Tangkak (153) and Kluang (151).
"So, we have discussed with JPN that if the reading exceeds 200, schools will be closed. PPDs and headmasters need to establish effective communication channels immediately so that the situation can be managed properly,” he told reporters after visiting Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Suria Jaya here today.
Naqib said the state government and JPN were also monitoring outdoor activities to ensure students’ safety amid the hot weather and haze.
"The department has prepared SOPs for outdoor activities and school closures...we are ready to implement them. We are currently experiencing hot weather, so this matter needs to be taken seriously. If necessary, we will reduce outdoor activities,” he said.
In a separate development, he said the state government, through JPN, planned to establish a special committee to address school infrastructure maintenance issues in Johor.
He said the committee would comprise various parties, including PPD representatives, principals and headmasters, to monitor conditions on the ground and ensure urgent issues were addressed effectively according to priority.
"Muhammad Naqib said SMK Suria Jaya, previously classified as a ‘sick project’ after its construction was abandoned for 11 years, is now operating in its first phase with 222 Form One to Form Three students. - BERNAMA
