Johor Closes All Schools for Two Days as Haze Worsens
Johor ordered all schools in the state to close for two days from Oct. 8 as worsening haze pushed air pollution readings into unhealthy levels. The move…
JOHOR — With air quality worsening across the state, haze today has prompted Johor to close all schools for two days from Oct. 8. The state government said the measure followed a directive from Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and was taken to protect students’ health and safety.
The closure affects families who may still need to work, while students will continue lessons from home. Assessments scheduled during the two-day shutdown will be postponed, subject to decisions by the Johor Education Department and relevant parties.
Johor Education and Information Committee chairman Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali announced the decision in a statement on Wednesday. He said the state understood that the closures could affect parents and guardians who still had to work.
“The cooperation and consideration of employers is greatly appreciated in providing appropriate flexibility to affected parents, including reasonable work arrangements according to the suitability of their respective organisations,” Naqib said.
Haze today brings unhealthy readings
Johor is the first state in Peninsular Malaysia to announce temporary school closures during this year’s haze season, according to Channel NewsAsia. The statewide decision followed the closure of around 300 educational institutions in Batu Pahat on Wednesday after the Air Pollutant Index (API) there reached the “very unhealthy” range.
Batu Pahat recorded an API reading of 203 on Tuesday night, the highest in Malaysia at the time, according to the New Straits Times as cited by CNA. On Wednesday afternoon, Segamat and Pasir Gudang each recorded 171, while Tangkak reached 168. Kluang registered 166, Larkin 162, Kota Tinggi 160 and Pengerang 156.
Malaysia’s API scale classifies readings from 101 to 200 as unhealthy and 201 to 300 as very unhealthy. Those measurements help explain why the state opted for a broad shutdown rather than limiting closures to Batu Pahat.
The practical effects reach beyond the classroom. Parents may need to adjust work arrangements, and students will rely on home-based teaching and learning while schools are closed. Naqib said the state appreciated employers’ flexibility for affected families.
Lessons move home during closure
Naqib said home-based teaching and learning would continue during the two days so students could keep up with lessons. He said the timing of assessments would be reviewed by the Johor Education Department and other relevant parties.
“While this decision may require some adjustment from everyone, under the current circumstances, the safety and health of Johor’s children must be our shared priority,” he said.
Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi also called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to take a more active role in tackling the regional haze crisis and convene an emergency meeting. He raised the matter during a meeting with Indonesian consul general in Johor Bahru Sigit Suryantoro Widiyanto, according to his statement on Wednesday evening.
“With effective cooperation, prevention, monitoring and response, efforts can be implemented immediately and effectively for the people across the region,” Onn Hafiz said.
Helena Varkkey, an associate professor at Universiti Malaya’s department of international and strategic studies, told CNA that ASEAN’s response remains constrained by its reliance on diplomatic offers of assistance. Batu Pahat’s API reading reached 203.
Source: channelnewsasia.com
