PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry will work with health and environmental authorities to decide on school closures due to the haze, with students' health and learning needs taken into account, says its minister, Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek.
She said decisions would be made collectively based on existing standard operating procedures (SOPs), air quality assessments and advice from relevant agencies.
"The Education Ministry does not make these decisions on its own.
"We take into account the guidelines and advice provided by the environmental and health authorities.
"Decisions will be made collectively by the committee after considering all the circumstances," she told reporters after attending the opening ceremony of the Education Ministry's 2026 national-level Petah programme here today.
Fadhlina was responding to questions on whether schools would remain closed if the haze persisted into November and December.
She said the ministry would continue to monitor the situation and rely on advice from the Malaysian Meteorological Department and the Health Ministry.
"We have established SOPs and guidelines, and we will rely on advice from the Malaysian Meteorological Department and the Health Ministry as conditions develop.
"The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry will assess the overall air quality situation, while the Health Ministry will provide advice on health-related matters.
"We will then make decisions based on the existing guidelines," she said.
Fadhlina said the ministry was prepared to deal with the haze, adding that students' health remained a priority.
She advised parents to monitor their children's health and not send them to school if they were unwell.
"If children are unwell, there is no need to send them to school. Parents should inform the school," she said.
She also urged parents to monitor announcements from their respective district education offices and state education departments on school closures and reopening arrangements.
Fadhlina acknowledged that prolonged school closures could disrupt students' learning.
She said the ministry must consider the potential disruption to learning alongside health concerns when deciding whether schools should be closed.
"We have to consider the impact if schools are closed for too long, as this will affect our children's education."
Under the ministry's existing guidelines, all outdoor school activities must be suspended when the Air Pollutant Index (API) exceeds 100, while schools in affected areas must close immediately when readings exceed 200.
On Oct 7, the ministry reiterated these requirements and directed state and district education offices to closely monitor air quality readings.
The ministry also said home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) could be implemented where appropriate during school closures, taking into account students' safety, health and welfare.
Yesterday, Fadhlina announced that all schools in Johor and those under four district education offices in Selangor would be closed the following day due to hazardous haze conditions.
The four district education offices cover Bangsar Pudu, Hulu Langat, Gombak and Petaling Perdana.
However, schools in Melaka, Penang, Putrajaya, Labuan, Perak, Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis, Sabah and Sarawak were allowed to remain open.
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