新加坡：马来西亚教育部长周一（10月12日）在家长们要求在恶化的雾霾期间对学校停课安排有更多确定性的背景下，捍卫了其日常处理学校停课的做法。
SINGAPORE: Malaysia's education minister on Monday (Oct 12) defended its day-to-day approach to school closures as parents called for more certainty over arrangements during the worsening haze.
在一篇脸书帖子中，教育部长法德丽娜·西迪克表示，一些家长建议连续几天关闭学校，以便家庭更容易提前做好计划。
In a Facebook post, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said some parents had suggested closing schools for several consecutive days to make it easier for families to plan ahead.
但她表示，决定必须考虑空气质量的波动以及长时间停课可能对学生学习造成的干扰。
But decisions have to take into account fluctuating air quality and the disruption that prolonged closures could cause to students’ learning, she said.
她说：“在做出决定时，理解空气污染指数读数会因时间和地点而变化非常重要。”因此，学校停课必须考虑到每个地区的实际情况，她补充道。
“In making decisions, it is important to understand the air pollutant index readings can change depending on time and location,” she said. School closures must therefore take into account the prevailing conditions in each area, she added.
“我理解这些担忧。这就是为什么我要求尽早宣布学校停课的决定，以便家长有时间做好准备，”法德丽娜说。雾霾管理还涉及多个部门，她解释道，环境部门负责监测空气质量和处理污染，而卫生部则向公众提供健康风险的指导。
“I understand these concerns. That’s why I have requested that decisions on school closures be announced as early as possible to give parents time to prepare,” said Fadhlina Haze management also involves several agencies, she explained, with the environment department responsible for monitoring air quality and addressing pollution while the health ministry provides the public with guidance on health risks.
与此同时，教育部则专注于学生的安全以及根据实际情况管理学校运营，她说。法德丽娜还指出了新冠肺炎疫情期间长时间学校中断的影响。
The education ministry, meanwhile, focuses on students’ safety and the management of school operations based on prevailing conditions, she said. Fadhlina also pointed to the impact of prolonged school disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
她说：“直至今日，针对疫情期间学习损失的努力仍在继续。失去的学习时间不易弥补，特别是由于并非所有学生都能平等获得居家教学和学习设施。”
“Until today, efforts to address learning loss (during COVID-19) are still ongoing. Lost learning time is not easily recovered, especially since access to home-based teaching and learning facilities is not the same for all students,” she said.
对于寄宿制学校的学生，教育部的建议是，只要条件安全，他们在雾霾导致的学校停课期间应继续留在宿舍。
For boarding school students, the ministry’s recommendation is that they remain in their hostels during haze-related school closures as long as the conditions are safe.
她说：“教育部不希望家长因反复接送孩子上学而承受负担，”法德丽娜说。马来西亚全国在环境质量监测计划下设有68个空气质量监测站。
“The education ministry does not want parents to be burdened with repeatedly picking up and sending their children back to school,” Fadhlina said. Malaysia has 68 air quality monitoring stations nationwide under its Environmental Quality Monitoring Programme.
根据教育部的指导方针，当空气污染指数（API）读数超过180时，该地区的学校必须关闭。如果API读数连续三天保持在150以上，学校也将关闭。
Under the education ministry’s guidelines, schools in areas with API readings above 180 must close. Schools will also close if readings remain above 150 for three consecutive days.
自上周起，由于雾霾恶化，马来西亚半岛多个州的学校已陆续关闭，相关通知通常在前一天发布。
The worsening haze has prompted school closures in several states across Peninsular Malaysia since last week, with announcements made a day before.
当地媒体报道，马六甲、森美兰、彭亨、布城以及吉隆坡和雪兰莪部分地区的学校在周日的API读数改善至中等水平后，于周一恢复了面授课程。
Schools in Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Putrajaya alongside parts of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor resumed in-person classes on Monday after API readings on Sunday improved to moderate levels, local media reported.
然而，受影响最严柔佛州则情况不同，该州所有学校和教育机构将从10月12日至10月16日再继续关闭五天。
In Johor, however, which remains the worst-affected state, all schools and educational institutions will remain closed for another five days from Oct 12 to Oct 16.
柔佛州于周四开始关闭学校，随后其他一些受影响的州和地区在周五也跟进采取了同样的措施。
Johor began closing schools on Thursday Several other affected states and areas followed suit on Friday.
根据当地媒体的报道，教育部表示，各州当局将根据雾霾情况自行决定是否关闭学校。
The education ministry has said that state authorities will decide on school closures based on haze conditions, according to local media.