Lodge complaints if schools hold outdoor activities in hot weather, parents told

Schools had been given the autonomy to postpone outdoor activities, including sports, if the temperature exceeded 35 degrees Celsius.

PETALING JAYA: Education minister Fadhlina Sidek told parents to lodge complaints with the ministry if schools hold outdoor activities despite temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius.

Fadhlina said parents could use the ministry’s complaints management system – SISPAA – to ensure that appropriate action could be taken, Bernama reported.

“We will take action but the important thing is that a complaint must be officially lodged so we can investigate whether it has any basis,” she was quoted as saying.

She said to date, no complaints had been received over the matter.

Fadhlina was speaking to reporters after attending the Generasi Madani (GenMadani) SMKA Student Leaders’ Camp in Seremban.

She said her ministry had come up with guidelines on do’s and don’ts for the hot weather and these should be adhered to by all parties.

Yesterday, Fadhlina’s deputy, Wong Kah Woh, said the respective state education departments and schools across the country had been given the autonomy to postpone outdoor activities, including sports, if the temperature exceeded 35 degrees Celsius.

On April 11, the meteorological department (MetMalaysia) issued heatwave warnings for 14 areas in the country, particularly in Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Sarawak and Sabah.

Last week, the United Nations warned that the massive heat waves across East Asia and the Pacific could place millions of children at risk.

The Unicef data showed over 243 million children across East Asia and the Pacific were estimated to be affected by heatwaves, putting them at risk of heat-related illnesses and death.