PETALING JAYA: The Education Ministry has allowed outdoor activities to be carried out in schools again.
Earlier on May 5, the ministry had issued a circular temporarily banning all outdoor activities in both morning and afternoon school sessions, to prevent health and safety complications among students, teachers and enforcement officers during the heatwave.
The circular must be adhered to by all school headmasters and principals nationwide.
ALSO READ : Let school heads decide on outdoor activities
In an update posted on its Facebook page on Wednesday (June 7), the ministry said all educational institutions under its purview that carry out activities outside the classroom must ensure that each student's participation is voluntary and has the consent of parents/guardians.
Among the other guidelines that need to be observed include: explaining to students preventive measures, symptoms and treatment actions; encouraging students to wear appropriate and brightly coloured clothes; providing cooling aids such as shade (canopy/umbrella), ice, or wet towels; and ensuring students drink enough water before, during and after vigorous activities by providing a sufficient supply of drinking water and encouraging students to bring their own drinking water.
ALSO READ : Outdoor activities in schools discouraged
All educational institutions must also monitor activities that may expose students to hot weather conditions to ensure that their health remains unaffected; allow additional rest periods during activities and sufficient recovery time; make adjustments to the duration, start time and end time of the event/activity based on changes in the surrounding weather; refer to a nearby clinic or hospital if there may be any cases or complications to students due to this phenomenon.
In addition, they must report cases related to the safety and health of students to parents/guardians immediately; and postpone all outdoor activities in progress in the event of an increase in temperature above 35 degrees.
The new circular and guidelines can be accessed through the ministry’s portal at https://www.moe.gov.my.
