马来西亚教育部长法德莉娜·西德（Fadhlina Sidek）周三（10月14日）表示，学校停课的空气质量阈值将提高，以使该部的指导方针与该国《国家烟雾行动计划》保持一致。
Malaysian Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said on Wednesday (Oct 14) that the air quality threshold for school closures will be raised to bring the ministry’s guidelines in line with the country's National Haze Action Plan.
今后，当空气污染指数（API）超过200时，相关地区的学校将停课；而当读数达到100或以上时，户外活动将被暂停。
Schools will now close in areas where the Air Pollutant Index exceeds 200, while outdoor activities will be suspended when the readings reach 100 or above.
根据教育部此前的指导方针，当API读数超过180，或连续三天高于150时，学校必须停课。
Under the education ministry’s previous guidelines, schools had to close in areas with API readings exceeded 180, or remained above 150 for three consecutive days.
法德莉娜表示，教育部欢迎国家灾害管理署所持的立场，即烟雾管理应以国家计划为基础。
Fadhlina said the ministry welcomed the National Disaster Management Agency’s position that haze management should be based on the national plan.
她在一条Facebook帖子中写道：“此举旨在确保决策能更系统地依据当前状况评估作出，包括空气污染指数读数以及卫生部的健康建议。”
"This step aims to ensure that decisions are made more systematically based on the current condition assessment, including the Air Pollutant Index readings and health advice from the Ministry of Health," she said in a Facebook post.
法德莉娜指出，API读数可能在短时间内发生变化，如果提前数日停课而不考虑这些变化，一旦空气质量改善，将可能导致学生不必要的学习时间损失。
Fadhlina noted that API readings could change within a short period, and said closing schools several days in advance without considering those changes could unnecessarily cost students learning time if air quality improved.
“同时，我也理解家长对孩子健康的担忧，尤其是那些有健康问题或对空气污染更为敏感的孩子。”她说。
"At the same time, I understand parents' concerns regarding their children's health, particularly those with health issues or who are more sensitive to air pollution," she said.
她补充说，在烟雾天气期间，如果家长担心孩子的健康与安全，可以选择让孩子留在家中，但前提是必须通知学校方面。
Parents who are concerned about their children’s health and safety during the haze can choose to keep them at home, provided they inform the school authorities, she added.
“孩子的安全与健康始终是我们的首要任务。然而，每一天的上学对他们的发展和成长也具有重要意义。”法德莉娜说道。
"The safety and health of children remain our priority. However, every school day also holds great value for their development and learning” said Fadhlina.
“我希望这种协调能为家长带来更大的确定性，减少他们面临的困难，并确保每一项学校运营决策都能兼顾孩子的健康与教育的连续性，做到平衡考量。”她说。
"I hope this coordination can provide greater certainty to parents, reduce difficulties faced, and ensure every school operation decision is made by taking into account both the health and educational continuity of children in a balanced manner," she said.
此前，随着雾霾天气日益严重，家长们纷纷要求明确学校停课的相关安排。法兹莉娜则为马来西亚政府处理学校停课事宜的方式进行了辩护。
Fadhlina had previously defended the Malaysian government's day-to-day approach to school closures as parents called for more certainty over arrangements during the worsening haze.
她在周一指出，决定是否停课时必须综合考虑空气质量的实时变化，以及长期停课可能对学生学习造成的影响。
Decisions to shutter schools have to take into account fluctuating air quality and the disruption that prolonged closures could cause to students’ learning, she said on Monday.
“我已要求尽早公布学校停课的决定，以便家长们有时间做好准备，”她说道。
"I have requested that decisions on school closures be announced as early as possible to give parents time to prepare," she said.