The Ministry of Education (MOE) and schools have in place a school continuity plan to ensure the well-being of our students and staff during a haze situation. The Ministry and schools are ready to respond and take appropriate haze management measures based on the MOH health advisory (www.moh.gov.sg/haze) corresponding to the air quality (www.haze.gov.sg). The well-being of all students remains a key priority. Teachers will be on the lookout for students who are unwell and students with pre-existing lung or heart conditions. As children respond differently to haze, parents should ensure their children have their medication, such as inhalers for asthma, with them. Parents should also take their children to seek medical attention if they are unwell and ensure that their children take their medication to school or arrange for alternative care arrangements to care for them at home. Schools have in place a set of haze management plans and are ready to implement the appropriate haze management measures as required.

A broad overview is provided below: 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) Forecast School Management Measures ≤100Continue with normal activities 101-200Schools will minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. Students with pre-existing lung or heart conditions or are unwell will be exempted from all prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. Students and staff who are unwell will be temporarily accommodated in an air-conditioned room with an air purifier, before they are taken to seek medical attention. holmes air purifier coupon codeParents of these students will also be notified. target zero air duct and carpet cleaningSchools will minimise outdoor activities. air purifier rental calgary

Students with pre-existing lung or heart conditions or are unwell would be exempted from all outdoor activities. Students, including those with pre-existing lung or heart conditions, will be in an enclosed indoor space with air purifiers deployed. If PSI reaches 'Hazardous' level during school hours: Schools will avoid outdoor activities and scale down lessons. Explanatory Notes: Prolonged = continuous exposure for several hours Strenuous = involving a lot of energy or effort Minimise = do as little as possible Avoid = do not do The Ministry will consider closing schools when the air quality forecast for the next day is Hazardous (24-hour PSI>300). We will announce the closure of schools at around the same time that the health advisory is released. Schools will contact parents to inform them of school closure for students. We seek parents’ and employers’ understanding that relatively short notice for any announcement of school closure could be given. We also wish to encourage parents to make advance care arrangements for their children for such an eventuality.

Parents who are unable to make alternative care arrangements may continue to send their children to school, and teachers will supervise them. School-based care centres will continue to operate for their existing students. The Ministry works closely with junior colleges / centralised institute and PSEIs to ensure the well-being of their students. Junior colleges / centralised institute and PSEIs are ready to respond and take appropriate haze management measures based on the MOH health advisory corresponding to the air quality. If necessary, outdoor activities may be replaced with alternative indoor arrangements, postponed or cancelled. The considerations for closure of these institutions are different as most of the teaching and learning takes place in enclosed indoor spaces, such as lecture theatres, and the students are older. In the event of school closure, national examinations will be rescheduled. The announcement on the rescheduling of examinations would be made together with any announcement by MOE on school closure.

School candidates will be informed through their schools. Private candidates will be informed by the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB). When schools remain open and the national examinations proceed as scheduled, the safety and well-being of all examination candidates remain our top priority. Schools have made arrangements for all national examinations candidates to take their papers in enclosed spaces with air purifiers so that the examinations will not be disrupted should haze conditions worsen drastically during the period of the examination. Candidates with underlying medical conditions or who feel unwell should seek medical attention. Those who are medically certified unwell and are unable to sit for the examinations should inform their schools. Private candidates should inform the SEAB through MOE’s Customer Service Hotline at 6872 2220. Hotline operating hours are 8.30 am to 5.30pm on Mondays to Fridays, and 8.30 am to 12.30 pm on Saturdays. Processes are in place for dealing with candidates who are ill during the national examinations.

The same procedure will be activated for students who are unable to take the examinations due to haze-related illnesses. We would like to assure all candidates that they would be fairly assessed under such unforeseen circumstances.A team of researchers from NUS’ Faculty of Engineering has developed a cost-effective solution for the control of indoor air pollution, especially from the haze. Essentially, the invention developed by the NUS team, led by Associate Professor Jeff Obbard from the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, is a filtration system that is designed for use with a domestic ventilation fan to remove PM2.5 from indoor air. The system is also able to reduce levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are typically associated with the odour from haze pollution. Assoc Prof Obbard said: “In Singapore, we typically spend about 90 per cent of our time indoors, and we have successfully commercialised this research discovery so that everyone can benefit from a cost-efficient way of swiftly and effectively reducing PM2.5 pollutants in indoor air.”

Assoc Prof Obbard explained that people are constantly exposed to PM2.5 indoors as a result of pollutants generated from household activities, such as cleaning and cooking, as well as from pets and smoking. Indoor air quality is also affected by PM2.5 that seeps into homes and offices from the haze, traffic fumes and industrial emissions. “This new system is designed to filter out particulates down to at least 0.3 microns in size—almost 10 times smaller than the PM2.5 WHO standard. It will also help to reduce the burning smell associated with the haze,” he said. The NUS filtration system has been specifically designed to fit onto standing, floor and wall fans that are widely used in Singapore and other parts of Asia. The system delivers an optimal airflow to quickly clear the air of PM2.5, and also suppresses new PM2.5 that is constantly being generated. Contaminated air passes through the system many times each hour, which then scrubs the air of PM2.5 and VOCs. “It is important for any system to cover every corner of the room” said Assoc Prof Obbard, “We reduce PM2.5 where it matters most—in the air that we breathe, not just at the filter itself.”

Typically, the system reduces PM2.5 concentrations in a room by up to 85 per cent in 30 to 60 minutes. The system can be used effectively in both semi-naturally ventilated and air-conditioned spaces. Assoc Prof Obbard noted that he had been surprised to discover from his research that air-conditioning units did not always provide adequate protection against PM2.5, and could even be a source of PM2.5 if not well maintained. Air purifiers on the market today can cost several hundred dollars each, which means that many families could, at best, afford only a single unit, if at all. This would be insufficient for the entire home. “Our goal is to provide everyone in Singapore with affordable protection against PM2.5 exposure at a fraction of the price of a regular air purifier,” said Assoc Prof Obbard. “We wouldn’t think of drinking a cloudy glass of water, and equally we should all breathe the cleanest air possible.” The new system comprises a special filter and a cover that fits snugly over the fan, quickly converting it into an air purifier.

The simple, but efficient system is designed for cost-effective use in hospitals, care homes and community centres, and is competitively priced. More effective than a standard air purifier The NUS filtration system has been scientifically tested in a range of indoor environments including homes, offices, hotels and student hostels. Independent tests found that the NUS filtration system was about twice as effective as a branded air purifier in removing and suppressing PM2.5 in a large indoor space because of its superior air flow. The system has also been tested in severe haze conditions. Assoc Prof Obbard took the system to Pekanbaru in the Riau Province of Indonesia in February this year when there were more than 1,000 hotspots in Sumatra. The Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) there was above 750. He conducted tests in a Pekanbaru school classroom where the PM2.5 level was nine times over the “safe limit”, as defined by the WHO. Even though the classroom was naturally ventilated, the system achieved a dramatic reduction in PM2.5 levels within a short time span.