KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — An “instruction’’ from Education Ministry director-general Datuk Seri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof to teachers to use 1BestariNet. to liaise with students when schools close because of the haze, has received a scathing retort from the teachers union.

National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Datuk Lok Yim Pheng said the advice was impractical as teachers were generally unable to log on to 1BestariNet.

“How can we expect teachers to liaise online with students when they cant even access 1BestariNet in schools,” she said.

Lok was commenting on Khair’s statement that teachers could, for example, give students homework online when classes are called off due to the haze.

Khair had said that it was not a formal instruction from him but merely an advice to teachers that they should continue teaching online when schools are closed due to the haze.

To date, 10,149 schools have been connected via 1BestariNet, a virtual learning move by the Education Ministry and corporate partners.

Under the initiative, every parent, student and teacher will be provided with an ‘’ID’’ which enables access to a variety of online learning tools.

Speaking to reporters at the national level Smart School Award at Persiaran Bukit Kiara here, he said the ministry had yet to come up with long-term plans to address the issue of “lost” school days due to the haze.

Khair said the off days should not be considered as school holidays.

“We will be looking into the standard operating procedure on the haze as the current procedure does not have a long-term plan,” he said, adding that the haze would not affect public and final examinations (year-end examinations) unless the government declares a haze emergency.

This includes ongoing public examinations, including the Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (October 19 to 27), Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (November 2 to December 8) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia next month.

He said schools need not replace classes called off due to the haze.