SUBANG JAYA, March 29 — The Education Ministry's (MOE) decision to postpone outdoor activities if temperatures exceed 35°C is seen as appropriate in safeguarding students’ safety.
Parents interviewed expressed concern that extreme heat could affect health, including increasing the risk of heatstroke, particularly among children.
Fadlina Moctader, 45, said her child’s school is scheduled to hold its annual sports event in April and hopes it will be postponed if the hot weather persists.
“Any outdoor activity over a prolonged period should be postponed to a more suitable time. As parents, we are naturally concerned.
“I will also remind my children to drink sufficient plain water regularly to maintain their health,” she told Media Selangor.
Meanwhile, Ashok Sivaji, 49, a former Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) chairman, hopes schools will take proactive steps by temporarily postponing all outdoor activities.
“When I was still serving as chairman until February, the PTA had requested flexibility for students to wear sports attire to school, and the administration granted permission.
“Therefore, I hope sports activities will be postponed for now. At the same time, the school has installed water filters to make it easier for students to access drinking water without needing to buy it from the canteen,” he said.
For Noraini Muhammad, 44, she also supports the MOE's recommendation to postpone outdoor activities for students’ well-being.
“Secondary school students may be able to take care of themselves, but primary school pupils require closer attention in hot weather conditions.
“I also hope parents ensure their children bring sufficient drinking water to school and do not rely entirely on the school,” she said.
On Wednesday (March 25), the MOE instructed all institutions under its purview to postpone outdoor activities if temperatures exceed 35°C to avoid any untoward incidents amid the current hot weather.
It also directed education institutions to monitor activities that could expose students to hot conditions to ensure their health is not affected.
School management may also consider granting special permission for pupils, teachers and support staff to wear appropriate sports attire during hot weather, depending on the needs and current situation at their respective institutions.
