Malaysia: Principals and headmasters can cancel outdoor activities during El Nino

DAWN CHAN New Straits Times 13 Jan 16;

KLANG: Principals and headmasters can cancel out-of-classroom activities in view of the on-going El Nino phenomenon that is expected to last till March.

Deputy education minister P. Kamalanathan said they are empowered to do so based on an existing standard circular that had been previously distributed to district education officers and state education departments nationwide.

"They can issue a directive for outdoor activities to stop should the temperature soar.

We leave it to the wisdom of the principals and headmasters to decide. They are also able to get advice from the nearest district education officers on this," said Kamalanathan.

He said this during a visit to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Meru where four classrooms were razed in an early morning fire on Tuesday.