Almost 500 Pasir Gudang schools, educational institutions to shutter temporarily
JOHOR BARU, June 24 — A total of 475 schools and educational institutions in Pasir Gudang have been ordered to close starting tomorrow until Thursday amid air pollution.
Johor Education Department director Azman Adnan said the number involved 111 government primary and secondary schools, three higher educational institutions, 14 private and international schools and 347 private pre-schools.
“All educational institutions have been ordered to close in an effort to address the issue of pollution sources by the authorities,” he said in a statement here tonight.
Azman also urged principals and teachers to immediately inform all students, teachers, parents and staff under their control to take note of the closure.
He added that the state Education Department will constantly monitor and assist schools to ensure the well-being of their students.
“Let us pray for this incident to be resolved soon and the schools to be able to operate normally for the good of the students,” said Azman.
Earlier, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal said a total of 75 students have been referred to Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) today after 15 schools were affected by the pollution.
“Four victims are still seeking treatment, but they are in stable condition,” he said during a media conference at the Pasir Gudang Municipal Council indoor stadium here today.
The students from various schools in Pasir Gudang had complained of breathing difficulty and vomiting.
On June 22, three schools and two preschools were ordered to be closed for two days, starting as a safety measure following possible air pollution in the Taman Mawar area here.
In March, more than 4,000 people, mainly children, fell ill after a toxic fume incident in Sungai Kim Kim. The fallout from the incident also saw the temporary closure of 111 schools in the Pasir Gudang district.
However, authorities have been quick to deny that the two incidents were connected.
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