IPOH, June 26- All 239 schools in the Manjung and Hilir Perak districts have been ordered to close from the afternoon session today after the haze drove the air pollutant index to 333 yesterday.
Perak State Education Department deputy director Idris Ramli said the 102 schools in Manjung and 137 in Hilir Perak would also remain closed today.
“All schools in the two districts have been directed to close today and tomorrow, while it will depend on the API reading whether they have to close for a third day,” he said when contacted.
He said the department had set up a task force to monitor the API and updates on the effect of the haze from the district education offices.
“If these offices ask for the schools to be closed, then we will consider it based on the letter and guidelines of the director-general of education. We’ve informed that co-curriculum activities outside the classroom need to stop if the API exceeds 200, but if it exceeds 300 schools should close,” he said.
Idris also advised schools to quickly bring students to the nearest clinic or hospital should they suffer from the effects of the haze.
“Parents should inform the school if their children are unable to cope with the haze and provide verification and a medical report to avoid any issue,” he said.
Manjung district education officer Muhd Suod Mat Thani said the schools comprised 21 secondary and 81 primary schools and involved almost 40,000 pupils and students.
“We’ve obtained permission from the State Education Department and informed the school principals and headmasters. The morning session went on as usual as the students were already at school yesterday,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
He said the school sessions for yesterday and today would be replaced later.
Hilir Perak education officer Zainal Abidin Osman said 113 primary schools and 24 secondary schools in the district were closed today.
He said the closure affected 20,145 primary pupils and 19,446 secondary students.
“As API readings have exceeded 300, we distributed letters for schools to be closed immediately,” he said when contacted yesterday.
The department also received reports of two students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Kandi and two from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Setia who suffered breathing difficulties and were sent to the Teluk Intan Hospital for treatment, he said.
The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry website stated that Seri Manjung had an API of 331 at noon while in Jalan Tasek, Ipoh, it was 150; Jalan Pegoh, Ipoh, 196; Kampung Air Putih, Taiping, 155; and Tanjung Malim, 178.
– BERNAMA
