NST: Schools to immediately switch to home-based PdPR method if forced to close due to haze - Fadhlina

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GENTING HIGHLANDS: Schools will immediately switch to the home-based teaching and learning method (PdPR) should there be any closure due to the haze.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek reiterated that if the Air Pollution Index (API) reading in any given area reaches 200, then they would immediately close down all schools in the area.

An API reading of 0–50 is considered good, 51–100 is moderate, 101–200 is unhealthy, 201-300 is very unhealthy and above 300 is hazardous.

"So far for areas that reached an API of more than 100, we immediately stoppred all outdoor activities and for other areas, we will be continuously monitoring the situation.

"If the API within an area reaches more than 200, then we will close the schools and activate PdPR.

"We have prior experience with PdPR... there should be no issue," she told reporters after launching the International Conference on Educational Leadership and Management at Institute Aminuddin Baki, here.

Also present were Education Ministry director-general Datuk Pkharuddin Ghazali and Institute Aminuddin Baki director Rohayati Abd Hamed.

Fadhlina also called for school authorities to observe all safety guidelines related to weather and haze.

Yesterday, Department of Environment (DoE) director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaafar in a statement said schools, kindergartens and nurseries would be closed if the haze situation reached a "Very Unhealthy" API levels.

He added that the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) would activate the Disaster Management Committee at the district, state, or central level when the API reading exceeded 150 for a period of more than 24 hours.

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