KUANTAN: Schools nationwide have been given full autonomy to establish guidelines to manage the dry weather during the southwest monsoon, which is expected to last several months.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry has always enhanced its preparedness in dealing with unforeseen weather conditions.
"The guidelines have been reviewed and strengthened from time to time with the cooperation from the Health Ministry and other ministries.
"At the ministry level (education), we are prepared (to face the southwest monsoon). I would like to remind all state education departments to adhere to the guidelines provided by the ministry.
"We have given full autonomy to schools to monitor the weather conditions in their respective states including to decide on school attire, outdoor activities and guidelines for other school activities.
"All our guidelines on the matter (weather) are clear and we want the state education departments, and schools to ensure proper monitoring," she told reporters after an awards ceremony held for the 53rd Teacher's Day celebration here today.
Yesterday, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) predicted that the southwest monsoon will start on May 17 and last until September this year, with most places across the country experiencing more dry days than rainy days.
MetMalaysia cautioned people to avoid open burning in order to reduce the occurrence of haze and to use water wisely.
Meanwhile, Fadhlina said the ministry is in the midst of upgrading the facilities at all the Teachers' Activity Centres across the country, including Internet connectivity.
"This is part of the preparations to integrate digital technology into the learning ecosystem. This will ensure students and teachers from rural areas will not be sidelined and will benefit from the latest technologies.
"Upgrading the Teachers' Activity Centres will allow those without internet access to come to the centres to utilise the Internet connectivity for education purposes," she said.
Earlier, she presented awards to 110 outstanding teachers who were recognised for their contributions in the education sector.
The ceremony was held together with the 53rd Teachers' Day national-level celebration which will be launched by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi tomorrow (May 16).
Also present today was her deputy, Wong Kah Woh.