Schools to stay open; O-level exams may be postponed if haze turns hazardous: Desmond Lee

[SINGAPORE] Schools will remain open and students will take their O- and A-Level exams in enclosed, air-conditioned venues with air purifiers.

Education Minister Desmond Lee said on Oct 16 that the ministry wants to minimise disruption for students, who have been working hard to prepare for their national exams. Written papers for O-levels start on Oct 19 and practical A-level exams are ongoing.

Speaking at the haze task force’s press conference on Oct 16, Lee said MOE will consider rescheduling O-level papers in line with the health advisory for younger students, should the 24-hour forecast reach hazardous levels, which is when the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) exceeds 300.

The A-level papers are generally less likely to be affected, he said, as the students are older. But the ministry will also take into account actual circumstances in deciding whether examinations should proceed, he said.

Should students feel unwell and are unable to take or continue with an exam, they should see a doctor, get a medical certificate, and apply for special consideration through their schools, Lee said. Schools will guide these students on the necessary procedure.

Any affected papers will be rescheduled to the earliest practicable date, with the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) announcing the changes publicly, he added.

Schools will inform students and parents directly if any national exam needs to be rescheduled, he said.

Lee cautioned against misinformation about school closures circulating on social media.

“Now there have also been circumstances where fake news about school closures has been put out on social media, causing confusion and anxiety,” he said, urging parents, students and the public to refer to MOE’s official channels and Parents Gateway for updates.

More information about any changes in the scheduling of O- and A-level examinations will be available on the SEAB website, he added.

The main written papers for the GCE O-Level examinations are scheduled to begin on Oct 19 and run until Nov 10. The GCE A-Level examinations are ongoing, with H2 Physics and Biology practical examinations scheduled for Oct 19 and 22 respectively, ahead of the main written papers starting on Nov 2 with General Paper.

All papers for 2026’s Primary School Leaving Examination concluded on Sep 30.

On Oct 16, Lee also outlined measures to keep schools operating amid worsening air quality, including adjustments to outdoor activities, the deployment of air purifiers and additional precautions for students with pre-existing health conditions.

For younger students, MOE will consider closing schools and moving to home-based learning from pre-school to secondary school levels if the 24-hour PSI forecast for the following day reaches the hazardous range of 301 and above, he said.

Lee said parents and guardians will also be strongly encouraged to keep infants and young children at home in such a scenario, given their greater vulnerability to the health effects of haze.

Kindergarten programmes and early intervention services for children with developmental needs will also be suspended under such circumstances, he said.

These include the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC and EIPIC-P) services, and pre-school-based early intervention programmes, such as the Development Support-Plus programme and Development Support-Learning Support programme.

Lee acknowledged that this can be challenging for parents who cannot work from home or find alternative care for their children.

Therefore, MOE Kindergartens and Kindergarten Care as well as pre-schools licensed under the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will remain physically open, he noted.

Children who report to these facilities will be able to participate in indoor activities, such as reading and hands-on activities, with precautions such as the use of air purifiers in enclosed rooms, he added.

Lee also reassured the public that primary and secondary schools, student care centres and special student care centres will remain physically open to take care of students who do not have alternative care arrangements.

In-person lessons in junior colleges and other post-secondary institutions such as polytechnics and universities would likely continue as students are older, although adjustments may be made depending on actual circumstances, he said.

Asked when primary schools would switch to home-based learning, Lee said the ministry would consider doing so when the PSI forecast reaches the hazardous range, though it is “not rigidly wedded to numbers”.

Decisions would also take into account other factors, including students’ ages, vulnerabilities and pre-existing health conditions, he said.

Schools also have the autonomy to adjust precautions based on students’ needs, as they are best placed to assess the situation on the ground, he said.

Any decision to shift to home-based learning would generally be made a day in advance, Lee said, based on the National Environment Agency’s PSI forecast, to give schools time to prepare.

The situation varies across schools, said Lee, when asked if more students have taken medical leave and whether this would be taken into account when deciding whether to switch to home-based learning even if air quality does not reach hazardous levels.

Some schools saw no difference in student illness rates compared with the same period in 2025, while others reported more students falling ill, he said.

Schools are prepared for home-based learning if needed, he added, drawing on experience gained during the Covid-19 pandemic, when disruptions to classroom learning were more prolonged and uncertain. “We keep the muscles warm over the years, and if there is a need to do so, we will do so.”

During the severe haze episode in September 2015, MOE closed all primary and secondary schools for a day on Sep 25 that year, when air quality was forecast to reach very unhealthy or potentially hazardous levels. An O-Level practical examination originally scheduled for that day was postponed to Sep 29.

The PSLE, however, proceeded as scheduled on Oct 1 that year, with candidates taking their papers in enclosed spaces equipped with air purifiers. THE STRAITS TIMES