KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — Several parents groups are urging for better solutions from Putrajaya to help schools cope with the El Nino phenomenon, saying that students are still struggling under the sweltering heat.

Concerned Parents of Selangor (CPS) coordinator Shamsuddin Hamid said students have been finding it hard to concentrate on schoolwork, and claimed the federal government has not offered much help beyond encouraging schools to cancel outdoor activities.

“I’m glad some schools have cancelled co-curricular activities but that doesn’t solve the problem because it’s so hot and the kids are struggling... it impacts their studies, their homework, they’re tired. It’s terrible,” he told Malay Mail Online.

“We don’t expect them to do anything and they haven’t been doing anything anyway. It all depends on the schools or some parent-teacher associations (PTA), which are very proactive, but as for the government, we don’t expect anything,” he added.

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Shamsuddin also alleged that Putrajaya had not reacted quickly, only announcing school closures days after temperatures persisted at unbearable levels.

“For them to even announce to close schools after it is 38°C or 39°C for a few days took them ages to make a decision,” he said.

Malacca Action Group for Parents in Education (MAGPIE) chairman Mak Chee Kin expressed the same sentiment and said the group had even written to the state government seeking additional funds to install better facilities in some classrooms.

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“I don’t think the ministry will do anything, but maybe at the state level we’re hoping our chief minister can help us with getting new fans and such,” he told Malay Mail Online.

Mak explained that students were struggling with the heat as the fans used in some schools were old and inefficient.

“Usually in one classroom, there are only two fans. It’s so miserable and it is high time for school authorities to change the fans or to add more fans,” he said.

He also wants school hours shortened and students be allowed to dress in school T-shirts instead of their usual uniforms.

When contacted, Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim disagreed, saying the government has introduced sufficient measures for schools during the hot spell.

“The government has already closed some schools. They’re on top of things. The fact that they’re already cutting down on outdoor activities is enough,” she said.

However, she agreed that some temporary changes could be introduced to help students cope in the heat, such as giving leeway on school attire.

“Maybe during this heatwave, schools can exempt their students from wearing ties, vests and blazers. It’s already very, very hot, so maybe as a temporary measure,” she said.

On Thursday, Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid announced all schools in Jerantut, Pahang and Kuala Krai, Kelantan would be closed for two days as temperatures in both regions recorded readings of 38°C.

El Nino is a dry weather phenomenon that leads to scorching weather across Asia and east Africa, but heavy rain and floods in South America.

The heatwave has seen temperatures soaring to as high as 38.5°C in some areas, with the worst affected being Penang, Kedah and Perlis. Extremely low rainfall has also been recorded in Sabah and Sarawak.

A multi-agency taskforce, which was created during the Cabinet meeting last month, will also declare a state of emergency should temperatures stay at 40°C for seven consecutive days.