Hot weather: No extended holidays for schoolgoers

Education Deputy Director-General (Education Operations Sector) Datuk Ahmad Tajudin Jab said the schooling session will resume as normal next week as the current high temperatures the country is facing were deemed not high enough for the closure of schools.

However, he said schools must take adequate measures to ensure safety of students.

"Schools' management must step up monitoring of activities that expose students to heat due to the current hot weather.

"They must also encourage students to bring drinking water and supervise provision and sale of drinks in the canteen to ensure there is no shortage of drinking fluids," he told Bernama.

He said the Education Ministry was closely monitoring the situation and would take the necessary action it takes a turn for the worse.

"The current hot weather can cause physical stress to the human body and if not controlled, is hazardous to a person's health," he said.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in a posting on his blog www.najibrazak.com had said the Education Ministry will decide on the need to close schools if the extreme heat now continues after the end of the first term holidays this week.

Malaysia is currently experiencing extraordinary hot weather and reduced rainfall due to the El Nino phenomenon.