PETALING JAYA: Schools in Johor will reopen in stages following their closure because of the haze, starting with examination candidates tomorrow and on Tuesday.
Johor education and information committee chairman Dr Naqib Ghazali said the decision was made following a decree by the regent, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
He said the arrangement would also give school administrators and teachers time to prepare for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Ujian Akhir Sesi Akademik (UASA) examinations.
“The second phase will begin on Wednesday, when all schools throughout Johor are scheduled to resume full operations as usual, subject to developments in air quality,” he said in a statement, Bernama reported.
In Serian, Sarawak, however, 27 schools in the Tebedu district will be temporarily closed tomorrow, with the air pollutant index (API) reading at IPD Serian reaching 194 as of 5pm.
The Sarawak education department said the closure would involve one secondary school and 26 primary schools under its supervision, Bernama reported.
API readings of between zero and 50 are categorised as good, 51 to 100 as moderate, 101 to 200 as unhealthy, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy, and 301 and above as hazardous.
Four other areas in Sarawak also had "unhealthy" API readings, with Kuching recording 182, Samarahan 179, Sri Aman 158, and Sibu 141.
Also recording unhealthy air quality were Paka, Terengganu (156) and Pasir Gudang, Johor (153).
Fifty-two locations nationwide recorded "moderate" API readings, and nine had good air quality.