Timor-Leste Closes Schools for Three Days as Indonesian Haze Spreads
Began a three-day school closure on Thursday as haze from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia clouded Dili. The government urged families to keep children…
DILI, Timor-Leste — Smoke from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia has clouded the capital and disrupted classes. Timor Leste began a three-day school closure on Thursday, Oct 15, after haze drifted into the country and raised concerns about students’ health.
The shutdown keeps pupils away from classrooms while the government urges families to keep children indoors and advises people to wear masks when going outside. The measure affects everyday schooling as well as students preparing for exams.
Residents said pollution in Dili had been worse earlier in the week. Under a yellow-tinged sky, people continued their usual routines, many wearing masks after the government’s advice.
“Recently, the pollution in Dili has been very severe,” Sonya da Costa Soares, a 30-year-old midwife, told AFP. She said the haze had blocked the sun and made the air heavy. Her child is too young to attend school, but she welcomed the closure as protection for students.
“We can't see the sun, the pollution is heavy,” she said. The decision to keep students home was “very important so that children are not put in danger”.
Timor Leste school closure follows regional haze
The government announced the closure on Wednesday, saying it was needed “to protect the health of students, teachers and other members of the educational community, given current air quality conditions”. It also asked families to keep children indoors and advised citizens to use masks outside.
The haze comes from fires burning across Indonesia. The blazes have affected forest and plantation areas in Sumatra, Borneo and Papua, and sent pollution beyond the country, reaching Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Timor-Leste.
Indonesia regularly experiences forest fires during its dry season. This year, the fires have been especially severe because a strong El Nino has brought drought, according to the source report.
The effects are visible in Dili. Residents face limits on outdoor activity, while families must weigh how to keep children safe and maintain their studies. The closure also gives schools a direct role in reducing exposure, even as the government’s advice extends to the wider public.
Vitaliano da Costa Calapes, an 18-year-old student at St Ignatius Loyola College, said he was preparing for upcoming exams and would continue studying at home.
“We are staying at home, but we are continuing to study ... We're facing our final exams,” he told AFP. He hoped classes would resume soon.
Felicidade Alves dos Santos Martins said the air had seemed worse earlier in the week. Her daughter, Febrianti, was home from middle school.
“It felt like smoke from fires was covering all of Dili and the mountains,” she said. “This pollution is very dangerous, it can make us sick.”
Timor-Leste’s three-day school closure began on Thursday, Oct 15.
Source: channelnewsasia.com
