Haze: All Johor schools to close for two days starting tomorrow by Regent’s decree over unhealthy API

JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 7 — The Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail has decreed for all schools in the state to close following the persistent haze and unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings,” said Johor Education and Information Committee chairman Dr Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali.

He explained that the two-day closure, starting tomorrow and the following day, was due to the ongoing haze compounded with a deteriorating air quality across all districts in the state.

“The closure affects 617,258 students across 1,198 schools that comes under the administration of the Education Ministry.

"All schools throughout Johor will be closed on October 8 and 9 as a precautionary measure to safeguard the student’s safety and health,” he said in a statement issued today.

Dr Muhammad Naqib pointed out that for schools involved in the Year 4 Learning Matrix (MPT4) or any other assessments, the implementation will be postponed and rescheduled.

He said this will be subjected to directives from the Johor Education Department (JPNJ) and relevant authorities.

“During the two-day closure period, Teaching and Learning at Home (PdPR) sessions will be conducted to ensure the learning process continues,” he said, adding that the state government and relevant agencies will continue to monitor API readings regularly.

Dr Muhammad Naqib said the state government understands that such a decision may impact parents and guardians who still need to work.

Therefore, he said the granting of appropriate work flexibility to affected parents or guardians by their employers will be greatly appreciated.

“I also urge parents to continue monitoring their children's health, ensure they stay hydrated and limit any outdoor activities.

“Parents or guardians need to seek immediate medical attention if their children experience coughing, sore throat or shortness of breath," he said.

Earlier, Johor recorded unhealthy API readings, with figures between 161 and 197, from eight monitoring stations.

Batu Pahat was the worst hit with an API reading of 197 in the morning.

Yesterday a total of 335 education institutions in the Batu Pahat district were ordered to close after the API reading in the district reached 208 last night.