Haze forces closure of schools in Negeri Sembilan tomorrow

The Negeri Sembilan education department said it decided to close the schools in view of all three API monitoring stations in the state recording readings approaching 'very unhealthy' levels. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: All educational institutions in Negeri Sembilan will close tomorrow due to the ongoing haze, the state education department has announced.The department said it decided to close the schools in view of all three air pollutant index (API) monitoring stations in the state recording high APIs, Bernama reported.As of 8pm, the API was approaching very unhealthy levels in Seremban (189) and Nilai (184), while the index stood at 170 in Port Dickson."The affected educational institutions are to conduct online learning to ensure continuity in students' lessons, based on the capabilities and needs of students as well as preparedness of teachers."Teachers and school administrators are also allowed to work from home during this period," said the Negeri Sembilan education department.This evening, the education ministry said schools in areas that record API readings of more than 180 are to close tomorrow, while schools in areas that record APIs of more than 150 for three consecutive days will close from Oct 12. Schools closed due to the haze will conduct online learning instead, said the education ministry.

(Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: All schools in areas that record air pollutant index (API) readings of more than 180 will close tomorrow, the education ministry has announced.Education director-general Azam Ahmad said schools in areas that record APIs of more than 150 for three consecutive days will close from next Monday (Oct 12).“Affected schools and education institutions under the ministry will conduct online learning instead,” he said in a statement.As of 7.30pm, three areas in Johor and Negeri Sembilan recorded APIs above 180, namely Segamat (190), Seremban (189) and Nilai (183). Teachers and administrators at affected schools are also allowed to work from home during the closures.Azam said schools must ensure lessons continue through the appropriate methods during this period, according to their respective capabilities and needs."The respective state education departments, district education offices and educational institutions are to monitor the situation continuously and take action accordingly when the API readings exceed the levels mentioned."The ministry will continue to monitor developments and obtain advice from the health ministry and other agencies to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of students, teachers and administrators, as mentioned by the king."Earlier today, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim said all schools in areas that record an API reading of 150 and above over several days should close immediately.The current SOP dictates that schools should only close when the air quality reaches “very unhealthy” API readings of 201 and above.