Schools to close in five areas, including Selangor and Putrajaya

Schools in several other states and federal territories are also closed as air quality deteriorates.

Cover image via Bernama/Sinar Harian & Bernama/FMT

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Schools across Selangor are closed today, 9 October, as the haze situation continues to worsen

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek announced that all educational institutions under the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Selangor, Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya will be closed today.

Schools in Negeri Sembilan are also closed from today, while all schools in Johor are closed today and were also closed yesterday, 8 October.

In Pahang, only schools in Rompin are affected. Meanwhile, schools in Perlis, Perak, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan continue to operate as usual.

Schools in affected areas to switch to home-based learning

Following the closures, affected schools must implement home-based teaching and learning, known as Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran di Rumah (PdPR), to ensure students can continue their lessons.

Selangor Education director Datin Wan Nor Ashikin Abu Kassim has also urged parents and guardians to follow official announcements from the Selangor Education Department for updates on when schools will reopen.

The Education Ministry has also announced that schools in areas with Air Pollutant Index (API) readings above 180 must close today

Schools in areas that record API readings above 150 for three consecutive days will also be required to close from Monday, 12 October.

36 areas recorded unhealthy air quality on Thursday night, 8 October

The closures come as air quality continues to deteriorate across the country.

As of 10pm on Thursday, 8 October, 36 areas recorded unhealthy API readings, with Seremban in Negeri Sembilan and Segamat in Johor topping the list at 188.

For reference, Malaysia's API readings are categorised as follows:

• 0 to 50: Good
• 51 to 100: Moderate
• 101 to 200: Unhealthy
• 201 to 300: Very unhealthy
• 301 and above: Hazardous

Parents and students are advised to monitor official announcements from the Education Ministry and their respective state education departments for further updates on school closures and learning arrangements.