Bersama questions scientific basis for school closure API threshold changes

The Education Ministry’s school closure thresholds amid the ongoing haze situation should be set on a scientific basis guided by public health expert advice, said Bersama. 

Party spokespersons Adawiyah Sulaiman and Seah Jhen Pei highlighted that “significant” changes to the Education Ministry’s school closure policy in recent days have raised questions about the scientific basis and public health considerations behind such calls.

The duo’s statement...

The Education Ministry’s school closure thresholds amid the ongoing haze situation should be set on a scientific basis guided by public health expert advice, said Bersama. 

Party spokespersons Adawiyah Sulaiman and Seah Jhen Pei highlighted that “significant” changes to the Education Ministry’s school closure policy in recent days have raised questions about the scientific basis and public health considerations behind such calls.

The duo’s statement today followed Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek’s Oct 14 announcement that schools will now only be closed in areas where the API exceeds 200, with outdoor classroom activities suspended in localities recording an above-100 reading.

The update came after the ministry lowered the threshold for closing educational institutions under its jurisdiction amid the worsening haze on Oct 8.

According to the previous guideline, all educational institutions under the Education Ministry in areas recording an API above 180 or above 150 for three consecutive days must close.

The lowered threshold was announced just hours after Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar urged authorities to prioritise students’ health and safety when the API is between 150 and 180.

READ MORE: Fadhlina: Agong's decree on school closures reversed after consulting experts

KL schools open, but S'gor schools closed

However, the Bersama representatives today pointed out that if the 150 and 180 thresholds were initially set based on health and safety considerations last week, the ministry should explain the scientific basis that allowed the threshold to be raised back to 200 in such a short time.

“If the 200 threshold is truly the applicable policy, why were a large portion of schools in Selangor still closed the following day?” they questioned.

Following the ministry’s latest policy, the Selangor Education Department yesterday announced that schools in eight out of 10 districts in its jurisdiction would close.

As of 5pm yesterday, Klang recorded the highest air pollutant index (API) reading in Selangor, at 195. While five other areas recorded unhealthy API readings, none of them breached the 200 threshold.

“At the same time, all schools in Kuala Lumpur remained open as usual. This meant that schools in Gombak were closed, while schools in Sentul, located next to each other and breathing the same air, were open as usual. 

“Decisions that changed within a matter of hours and contradicted neighbouring areas show that there is no clear, uniform, and data-driven decision-making framework,” Adawiyah and Seah asserted.

READ MORE: MOH advises, MOE, MOHE have final say on haze-related closures - Dzulkefly

Not everyone affected equally

They further stressed that the haze does not affect all students and parents equally, with families without their own vehicles, who rely on public transport, or who simply walk to school facing higher exposure.

They also noted that certain students could not take lessons from home without proper support, arguing that the government’s education policy should not further cause such students to lag behind in their schooling when they are already the most vulnerable to health risks.

“Malaysia went through the home-based learning (PdPR) experience during the Covid-19 pandemic - we have identified its weaknesses, including gaps in access to devices and the internet, as well as student engagement challenges,” they emphasised.

“This experience should serve as a foundation to strengthen the PdPR system to be more prepared, inclusive, and effective when a crisis like the haze occurs.

“If the Education Ministry’s concern is the continuity of learning, then the solution is to empower PdPR, not sacrifice health protection measures,” they added.

Mechanism, unified communication needed

Besides clear, transparent, and consistent criteria on school closures, they also called for the establishment of a decision-making mechanism between the Education Ministry, state education departments, and the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry.

The mechanism, they said, should ensure that neighbouring areas with the same air quality do not receive conflicting decisions on school activities.

They also urged for school closure or reopening decisions to be announced earlier through a single clear official channel to avoid confusion and give parents time to prepare. 

Beyond prioritising student safety and health through a precautionary approach, they also said PdPR should be strengthened as an education continuity plan during crises, including the provision of online and offline materials, reasonable timetables, and task coordination.

“We should not view health and education as two conflicting matters. Both are government responsibilities that must be safeguarded simultaneously - students should not have to gamble with their health to avoid falling behind in their studies. 

“The public deserves public policies that are centred on science, professionally managed, protect health and ensure every child continues to receive fair educational opportunities,” they added.