The Education Ministry has postponed next week’s UASA assessments due to worsening haze conditions and health concerns for pupils.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry (MOE) has postponed next week’s Ujian Akhir Sesi Akademik (UASA) assessments amid worsening haze, citing concerns over pupils’ health and school attendance.
The ministry said the decision took into account concerns raised by parents and guardians about sending their children to school for the assessments amid deteriorating air quality.
“The ministry understands the dilemma faced by parents. They want to protect their children’s health, but at the same time, they are worried that their children may miss their assessments if they do not attend school,” it said in a statement.
MOE said schools would be given flexibility to rearrange their assessment schedules, as UASA is administered at the school level.
“As UASA is a school-administered assessment, schools have been given the flexibility to reschedule its implementation.
“The new timetable will be communicated to parents and guardians,” it said.
The announcement comes amid worsening haze conditions in several parts of Malaysia in recent weeks, disrupting school operations and prompting temporary closures in affected areas.
As of 5pm today, 34 air quality monitoring stations nationwide recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings.
According to the Environment Department’s Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS), Klang in Selangor recorded the highest reading at 195, followed by Johan Setia at 192 and Nilai in Negeri Sembilan at 191.
The readings remained within the unhealthy category of 101 to 200, with several locations approaching the very unhealthy category, which begins at 201.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said MOE had reverted to the National Haze Action Plan guidelines, under which schools must close when API readings reach 200, while outdoor activities must stop when readings exceed 100.
The decision followed an earlier move to introduce stricter precautions requiring schools to close when API readings exceeded 180 or remained above 150 for three consecutive days.