“For now, what we can do is to stop outdoor activities but classes will resume as normal,” he said after opening a parent-teacher association meeting yesterday.

Schools in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Johor reopened today, and schools in the other states reopen on Monday.

Mahdzir said a Special Cabinet Committee on the extreme hot weather, chaired by environment minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar would make the decision on deciding whether schools in a particular area should be closed.

Yesterday, Wan Junaidi had announced that schools in an area where the temperature reached 37 degrees Celsius or more, for more than 72 hours, must be ordered to close.

In PUTRAJAYA, an education ministry statement said state education departments, district education officers and schools must monitor closely the health of students and ensure they are well hydrated.

Schools must have adequate supplies of drinks and also encourage students to bring their own water, it said, adding that clinics or hospitals must be quickly contacted if any student experiences health complications.

The statement said district education officers must also work closely with the district health officer on measures that can be taken to mitigate the risks.

-BERNAMA