JOHOR BARU, March 22 — The Johor Education Department has ordered for all 111 schools in Pasir Gudang to reopen on Sunday, March 31, following the improved situation in Sungai Kim Kim and its surrounding areas.
Johor deputy education department director Azman Adnan said the decision to reopen the schools in the district was made following the end of the Sungai Kim Kim operations by the state disaster management committee last Tuesday.
He said that the cleaning-up of schools before being reopened will also be done with the assistance of the respective schools’ Parent-Teacher Association, the community, government agencies and also non-governmental organisations.
“The cleaning process will not involve the students and will follow the respective school’s suitability by adhering to the standard operating procedures,” said Adnan in a statement today.
On March 18, Education Minister Maszlee Malik was reported to have said the affected schools in Pasir Gudang were to close until the break next week as a precaution against the toxic fume contamination of the area.
The Education Ministry announced on March 13 that all 111 schools, including state religious schools, in Pasir Gudang would be closed following the illegal chemical situation in Sungai Kim Kim which caused a number of students to fall sick after inhaling toxic fumes.
In Johor, the gazetted school holidays start on March 22 until March 30. The state observes Friday and Saturday as a rest day, while Sunday is a working and schooling day.
