Face masks for exam candidates if air quality unhealthy

comments     Bernama     Published     Updated

The Education Ministry will distribute face masks to Sijil Peperiksaan Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) candidates if the Air Pollutant Index (API) registers ‘unhealthy’ air quality again during the examination season.

Deputy Education Minister P Kalamanathan said this was because the dates of the two major examinations cannot be easily changed as they involved a large number of workforce and had been carefully planned for a long time.

“We are not talking about postponing the exams at all unless the API hits 500 and it is an emergency...(but) we don't expect that to happen,” he told reporters after visiting SPM candidates at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Aminuddin Baki in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said other than the candidates, masks would also be distributed to about 4,000 staff on duty during the examinations.

Kamalanathan said the ministry would also ensure that candidates in states which were hit by floods could complete the examination in the set period and early preparations had already been made to face that situation.

“For instance, if a school is flooded, we will ensure that the examination is conducted on higher ground, we will work with the disaster management department which has been set up to ensure that the examination goes on smoothly,” he said.

Approximately 440,000 SPM candidates and almost 45,000 STPM candidates will be sitting for the examinations this year which will be conducted simultaneously, beginning today.

- Bernama



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