Improving air quality allows preschools in Dharmasraya to reopen

Kindergarten and early-childhood students in Dharmasraya, West Sumatra, will return to class on Monday after officials recorded improving air quality following a three-day closure caused by haze.

Boby Perdana Riza, the acting head of the Dharmasraya Education Office, said environmental monitoring data supported the decision to reopen. “Based on data from the Environmental Agency, air quality in Dharmasraya is better than before. So, tomorrow PAUD and kindergarten students will return to school,” he said in Pulau Punjung on Sunday.

The closure aimed to protect young children, who officials consider more vulnerable to pollution from the haze. Schools may resume, but the Education Office instructed students to wear masks when carrying out activities outdoors.

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Based on data from the Environmental Agency, air quality in Dharmasraya is better than before. So, tomorrow PAUD and kindergarten students will return to school.

Environmental officials reported PM2.5 concentrations of 52.2 at 6 a.m. Sunday, with an air-quality index reading of 91. At 10 a.m., PM2.5 stood at 54.5 and the index reached 95. The figures improved from Saturday, when PM2.5 measured 63.8 and the index reached 111, classified as unhealthy.

Novandri Ismi, the acting head of the local Environmental Agency, urged residents to remain cautious, especially people with asthma or heart disease. “We advise the public to continue wearing masks when doing outdoor activities to reduce exposure to air pollution,” he said.

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We advise the public to continue wearing masks when doing outdoor activities to reduce exposure to air pollution.