HAZARDOUS HAZE FORCES SCHOOL CLOSURES IN SUMATRA, KALIMANTAN by Fardah

  Jakarta, Oct 25, 2015 (Antara)- The thick and hazardous haze emanating from the prolonged forest, peatland and plantation fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan has a significant impact on education on the two islands as it is frequently impending teaching and learning activities there.

       Schools have frequently been closed for temporary in many provinces badly hit by the haze, such as in Central Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, Jambi, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Riau, and North Sumatra. 
   In East Kotawaringin district, Central Kalimantan Province, which is the worst affected by the haze, the local education office has once again decided to close schools - from kindergarten until senior high schools, due to the hazardous haze shrouding the region.

       "The school closure is extended until October 31," Head of the East Kotawaringin education office Suparmadi said in Sampit, on Oct. 25.

        The pollutant standard index in East Kotawaringin reached 680.73 ugh/Nm3 on October 23 and 24, which is categorically very hazardous.

        The decision on school closure is in accordance with the appeal made by Education and Culture Minister Anies Baswedan who has urged schools located in regions seriously affected by the haze to close temporarily for the sake of the health of teachers and students.

       Minister Baswedan told a press conference in Jakarta on October 22, 2015, that health and safety of students and teachers was the first priority, and education came next.

        The minister explained that students and teachers would receive special treatment in the matter of material required for students' examinations and salaries for the teachers in the light of frequent closures of the schools hit by haze.

        When the situation returns to normal, the government will conduct an evaluation regarding the impact of closure of schools on the students.

        The Environmental Affairs Ministry said haze has badly shrouded South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Sumatra, Jambi and Riau.

         Among the six provinces, Central Kalimantan is the worst affected, as reflected by the standard pollutant index that had reached 1,950 on Oct. 20, far surpassing the threshold of 300 to 500, described as a categorically hazardous level. The standard pollutant index in Jambi was 945.

         Despite the hazardous level of air quality, some regions insisted that schools must remain open because they were worried that teachers' salaries might be cut  or students would miss the learning materials that they need to face the upcoming examinations.

        Earlier, the Palangka Raya authorities decided to temporarily close schools from the kindergarten to senior high school level as haze from forest fires reached 1,354.32 PM10 level, which is deemed categorically dangerous, on October 19, 2015.

         The schools were closed from October 19 to 21, 2015, Septia Rianty, a senior high school teacher, stated recently.

        The students have been given homework, so they could study at home, she added.

        "Teachers are actually highly concerned as the learning process of the students has been disrupted frequently due to the haze from forest fires," she affirmed.

         She hoped the government would take stern action, so that such a disaster would not recur in the coming years.

        Previously, the capital of Central Kalimantan had closed schools on September 10-16, on September 25-October 6, and yet again on October 16-17 due to the haze.

        Head of the Palangka Raya education office Norma Hikmah remarked that the decision to close the schools was taken to prevent students from falling ill due to the air pollution.

        In Riau Province, Sumatra Island, the education office of Pekanbaru City,  has also frequently shut down elementary, junior, and senior high schools since  September due to the thick haze shrouding the city.

        The students have been advised to stay indoors as the haze has reached hazardous levels that could lead to respiratory disorders, pneumonia, eye and skin irritations, and other diseases, Lastriani, a school principal, stated recently.

        Amanda, a local resident, noted that she had taken her daughter Anindya (10) to the local community health center as she was coughing frequently and complained of pain in her chest.

         "As parents, we hope the government and others would stop the forest fires because they have severely impacted the health of the country's younger generation," she affirmed.

         The Riau health office has set up eight health posts in Pekanbaru City to treat those affected by the haze.

         During the period between June 29 and September 27, the Riau health office had recorded 37,396 cases of people suffering from respiratory disorders, 656 from pneumonia, 1,702 from asthma, 2,207 from eye irritation, and 2,911 others from skin irritation.

        In the meantime, schools in Dharmasraya District in West Sumatra Province have also been shut down on Sept. 28-29 due to the haze arising from the forest fires on Sumatra Island.

        The index to measure air quality known as particulate matter (PM10) reached 444.44 ug/Nm3 in Dharmasraya on Sunday (Sept. 29), according to the head of the local environmental affairs office.

        The education ministry has advised that kindergartens and elementary schools be closed when the pollutant standard index reaches above 200, and for high schools when it is above 300.

         While the schools are shut, teachers are urged to give ample homework to students. The regional authorities are also ordered to pay teachers' allowances despite the school closure.

        The local print and electronic media are urged to broadcast educational materials so the student could learn while staying at home during the state of emergency due to the haze disaster. ***4***
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(T.F001/A/F. Assegaf/A. Abdussalam) 25-10-2015 21:25:00