KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 - All schools in Selangor, Johor, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan, as well as the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya and the Rompin district in Pahang, will be closed today due to the haze.
Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said schools in other states, namely Perlis, Perak, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak, as well as Labuan, would operate as usual.
"I have requested all State Education Departments (JPN) and District Education Offices (PPD) to continue monitoring the haze situation and take immediate action should conditions warrant it," she said in a Facebook post last night.
Fadhlina also acknowledged the inconvenience faced by parents following the school closure announcement, which could disrupt their daily routines.
"We will ensure that any decision regarding school closures is announced earlier so that parents have sufficient time to make preparations," she said, adding that the safety and health of students and school staff remained the ministry's top priority.
She advised parents to stay updated on the latest developments through official announcements from their schools, PPDs and JPNs.
Yesterday evening, the Negeri Sembilan Education Department (JPNS) announced the closure of all schools in the state based on Air Pollutant Index (API) readings recorded at three monitoring stations in Port Dickson, Seremban and Nilai at 5 pm.
The Melaka State Education Department, meanwhile, said the decision followed continuous monitoring and an official report from the Department of Environment showing that API readings in key areas had exceeded 150, reaching unhealthy levels.
The Federal Territory of Putrajaya Education Department (JPWPP) said in a statement that the decision was based on API readings recorded at monitoring stations at 5 pm yesterday, while school closures in Kuala Lumpur were based on readings at 2 pm.
In Selangor, Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) director Datuk Mohd Shahzihan Ahmad announced that all state religious schools under the department would be closed from today, while advising private Islamic schools registered with JAIS to comply with the directive.
Following the closures, all affected schools must implement Home-Based Teaching and Learning (PdPR) to ensure learning continues, taking into account students' abilities, access and needs, as well as teachers' readiness.
Under the Education Minister's directive, teachers and implementation support group (AKP) personnel will also be allowed to work from home (BDR) throughout the closure period.
