{
  "id": 7989742,
  "title": "Give parents a middle ground on haze absences, say parents, school groups",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/give-parents-a-middle-ground-on-haze-absences-say-parents-school",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T08:53:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/09/1534829/give-parents-middle-ground-haze-absences-say-parents-school-groups"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KUALA LUMPUR: Parents and school community leaders are calling for the Education Ministry to offer a middle ground option for keeping children home due to haze. While Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek has stated that parents may keep their children home without penalty, parents still face a dilemma between their children's health and education. SK Convent Ipoh Parent-Teacher Association chairman, Datuk Seri Razlan Yusuf, proposed combining optional attendance during air quality issues with home-based learning, so children not attending school due to haze would not fall behind in their education. Razlan, a parent of two children attending the school, also advocated for flexibility, stating that schools should not wait for the air quality index (API) to reach 200 before considering closure. The API measures air quality levels, with readings above 200 considered unhealthy and above 300 hazardous. A mother, Azua, suggested that the ministry revise its standard operating procedures to provide clearer guidelines based on the severity of the haze, including specific API thresholds for outdoor activities, temporary school closure, or online learning. Another mother, Nadira, whose daughter with asthma experienced coughing after attending school during an API reading of 140, emphasized that the distinction between thresholds is not abstract. Nadira kept her daughter home when her symptoms began and the teacher agreed that an inhaler was necessary. Normaya Othman, however, said she would continue sending her 8-year-old daughter to school unless the ministry ordered a closure, while limiting her daughter's outdoor activities and requiring her to wear a mask. Datuk Saniboey Mohd Ismail, a parent of children in school and university, said the responsibility for deciding on outdoor activities during haze should lie with the ministry, not parents. He stressed that the decision is about what the Education Ministry makes on the haze issue, as parents who keep children home risk being blamed later if they fall behind. Under the National Haze Action Plan, outdoor school activities are suspended when API readings exceed 100, and schools close when readings pass 200.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: Parents and school community leaders want the Education Ministry to have a middle ground option when it comes to keeping their children home because of the haze.",
  "key_points": [
    "Parents and school leaders seek middle ground for haze absences.",
    "SK Convent Ipoh proposes optional attendance with home-based learning.",
    "Ministry should revise SOPs with API thresholds for haze-related actions."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}