Forum: Children’s health more important than parents’ work commitments
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I disagree with the suggestion that schools should remain open and parents be left to decide whether their children should attend school when haze reaches hazardous levels (Let parents decide if they want to keep children at home when PSI hits 300; Oct 13).
At PSI levels above 300, air quality is classified as hazardous. Some parents may underestimate the risks, while others may feel compelled to send their children to school because of work commitments.
While school closures disrupt learning and inconvenience working parents, these concerns should not outweigh children’s health and safety. Home-based learning can help minimise educational disruption, as proven by the Covid-19 experience, while support should be provided to families facing childcare difficulties.
I urge the Ministry of Education to adopt a clear precautionary policy, guided by public health advice, to suspend in-person lessons when haze reaches hazardous levels. No lesson is worth exposing our children to unnecessary health risks.
Ng Choon Lai