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State education offices decide haze school closures, and announce by 17:45

Group A is Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu; every other state is group B. A closed school is not a holiday.

Xiao Hai · HiGo Corner JournalTrendingLast checked 17 October 20264 min read

Illustration: an empty school playground, with faded court markings on the tarmac and a bare flagpole; on the right a two-storey school block with a covered walkway behind green railings and every window shut; on the left two empty basketball hoops; trees in the distance fade into thick grey-yellow haze, with the sun a pale white disc, and not a person in sight. Text: the line at the top reads 'Trending · Malaysia', the large heading reads 'Know by 17:45', the line below it reads '14:45 · Sat group A, Sun group B', and the foot of the card reads 'Every corner, everywhere.', 'HiGo Corner Journal', 'higo.shop'.
Illustration: AI-generated (ChatGPT).
Last checked17 October 2026

On a hazy day, parents want to know one thing: is school on? Someone is in charge of announcing it, and there is a deadline.

Your child's school does not make the call. The state education director (Pengarah Pendidikan Negeri, PPN) does, going by the Department of Environment's (JAS) Air Pollutant Index (API) readings: schools either open as usual or switch to home-based learning. Announcements come before 14:45 on Saturday for group A schools and on Sunday for group B schools, and before 17:45 on other days. The Education Ministry's (KPM) statement of 10 October 2026

Illustration: a city seen from above under thick haze. On the right an elevated expressway carries traffic, and below it a wide multi-lane road has a few scattered cars and motorcyclists, with tall apartment blocks on both sides and a patch of low old rooftops in the bottom left. The distant towers dissolve into grey-yellow air, and the sun is a pale white disc in the top right.
On hazy days, state education offices announce whether schools run as usual or switch to home-based learning. Illustration: AI-generated (ChatGPT).Image: HiGo

What it means for you

  • Which group your child is in: group A is Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu; every other state, plus the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, is group B (2026 school calendar). The earlier time on Saturday (group A) and Sunday (group B) also helps boarding pupils plan their way back to the hostel or home, the statement says.
  • Where to check: the channels of the state education office (JPN), the district education office (PPD) and your child's own school.
  • The two thresholds set on 8 October: areas with an API above 180 close from 9 October 2026; areas above 150 for three days in a row close from 12 October 2026 (the Education Ministry's statement of 8 October 2026). A closure is not a holiday: lessons carry on, with pupils learning from home (BDR-PdPr).
  • What each API reading means: 0 to 50 and 51 to 100 both suit outdoor activity. At 101 to 200, cut down on prolonged outdoor activity and plan it for when the air improves; sensitive groups should minimise or avoid it. At 200 to 300, minimise or avoid outdoor activity, and stay indoors unless something is urgent (the Department of Environment's API bands).
  • Outdoors, what to watch for: stay indoors as much as you can, and cut down on strenuous outdoor activity and exercise. Cover your nose and mouth whenever you are outside; no particular type of mask is specified. Get treatment at a hospital or clinic if asthma, sore eyes, a cough, a cold or a heart condition gets worse. Switch on your vehicle's lights when visibility drops (the department's haze advice).
Illustration: a residential street. On the grass in the foreground stand an empty slide and an empty swing set, with two-storey old shophouses and coconut palms on both sides, a row of parked cars on the left, and one car coming towards us with its headlights on in daytime. The street two or three hundred metres away fades into grey-white air.
When visibility drops, the Department of Environment advises switching on vehicle lights. Illustration: AI-generated (ChatGPT).Image: HiGo

What still has no answer

  • Which day an announcement covers: the statement of 10 October 2026 does not say.
  • Which number applies: the statement of 8 October 2026 set 180, and 150 for three days in a row. On 15 October 2026 the minister said the ministry is going back to the National Haze Action Plan, which closes schools at an API of 200, but there is no matching statement on the ministry website. Which of the two holds has not been spelled out.
  • No answer yet on how long the haze will last, or on whether a child kept home by a parent counts as absent.

Separately, Bernama reported on 15 October 2026 that Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry is going back to the National Haze Action Plan (PTJK), under which schools close at an API of 200 and outdoor activities stop above 100. The minister also said parents who worry about their children's health may keep them home after telling the school.

Bernama reported on 16 October 2026 that the Health Ministry said schools and nurseries must close when the API exceeds 200. It also said outdoor physical activity must stop at API 101 to 200 at educational institutions, nurseries and care centres for the elderly — those places, not everyone. Employers must supply N95 masks to staff working outdoors.

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