El Nino: Parents will be told a day early on school closure

Parents will be told a day earlier if a directive to close schools is issued because of the hot weather due to the El Nino phenomenon.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan said a guideline had been issued to all schools on measures teachers must take in school during the hot and dry weather.

"The guideline encompasses reducing outdoor activities and allowing only classroom teaching and learning," he told a news conference at his office, here, today.

Kamalanathan said the ministry was also waiting for a comprehensive guideline from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry in facing the hot and dry weather and heat wave.

"The ministry will issue a circular to every school upon receiving the guideline before the school session re-opens this Sunday and Monday after the holidays," he said.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar was reported to have said yesterday that the proposal for a comprehensive guideline to face the hot and dry weather and heat wave would be tabled at the Cabinet meeting on Friday.

On another development, Kamalanathan said all national primary and secondary schools nationwide must commence implementing the teaching and learning of People's Own Language (POL) immediately.

He said POL classes could not be implemented in several schools as reported via the social sites recently due to financial constraints.

"However, the financial problem has been resolved by the Education Ministry which decided to implement POL by directly channelling the allocations to the schools involved," he said.

Kamalanathan denied allegations in the social media that the government had issued a directive to stop POL classes in schools beginning this year.