SHAH ALAM, March 27 — The heat wave that has hit the country is forcing playschool and preschool operators to take precautions by halting outdoor activities to ensure children’s safety.
Most operators have chosen to limit children’s movements outside their premises, especially as rising temperatures could affect their health.
Munira Shaari, an operator of a taska and tadika in Taman Putra Perdana, Puchong, said only indoor activities are allowed at the centre.
She said this is a precaution as the centre has quite a lot of children under its care.
“I have 60 kids in the taska and tadika. Usually we take the kids to the park but now we have stopped or reduced outdoor activities,” she told Media Selangor.
Munira said although outdoor activities have stalled, children may still play in indoor areas with supervision.
“They can all play in the indoor area we prepared. We will monitor and make sure they drink enough plain water when it’s hot,” she added.
Meanwhile, Azizah Aziz, another taska operator, said she has taken the same approach even though the playschool would only reopen after Aidilfitri.
According to her, the hot weather is among factors being considered before the centre reopens.
“Even though the taska only opens next week, I still monitor current conditions, especially the excessively hot weather that could affect health,” she explained.
“If the weather is (too) hot we would avoid outdoor activities for comfort, and health must be ensured (by providing) enough plain water to prevent (children from contracting) various diseases,” Azizah said.
Previously, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) climatology and climate change expert Prof Emeritus Fredolin Tangang said the hot weather in several areas is due to a blocked convective (enhanced rainfall) phase due to the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO).
He said the El Nino phenomenon, forecast for mid-year, has no relation to the current heat wave.
