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Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Climate
- Malay Mail
Environment Department activates haze action plan as Kuala Selangor air quality worsens
PUTRAJAYA, July 24 — Only Kuala Selangor recorded an unhealthy Air Pollution Index (API) reading as of 3 pm this afternoon, believed to be affected by transboundary haze, said Environment director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar. In a statement today, he said the Department of Environment's (DOE) API reading recorded two areas having good air quality status while 64 areas recorded moderate air quality status. 'The deterioration in air quality in the affected areas is still affected by transboundary haze. There have been no major fires that could cause local haze,' he said. Based on a report by the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) based in Singapore yesterday, Wan Abdul Latif said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 20 satellite images found that there were 42 hotspots detected in Sumatra and 91 hotspots detected in Kalimantan. Apart from that, he said, there were 13 hot spots detected in the country, 11 in Sarawak and one each in Pahang and Terengganu. 'DOE has increased enforcement and daily patrol activities to areas with potential for open burning activities as well as monitoring API readings from time to time,' he said. He said the National Open Burning Action Plan and the National Haze Action Plan (PTJK) had been activated to coordinate the actions of government agencies in addressing the issue of open burning and facing the national haze situation. 'All landowners are advised to closely monitor areas that are prone to catch fire such as landfills, forests, peatlands, plantations, agricultural and industrial areas. 'Landowners are also asked to take steps to prevent encroachment by irresponsible parties that cause open burning either for specific purposes or accidentally,' he said. Wan Abdul Latiff said the DOE, together with the ministry and every agency involved in haze disaster management, would always act quickly and responsively based on the actions listed in PTJK. Among the actions that need to be implemented is to stop all activities outside the classroom when the API reading exceeds 100 while schools, kindergartens and nurseries are immediately closed when the API reading exceeds 200. 'The public is reminded not to carry out open burning or allow their land or premises to be entered or encroached upon by irresponsible parties that cause open burning for specific purposes or accidentally,' he said. — Bernama
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Barnama
Only Kuala Selangor Records Unhealthy API Reading
PUTRAJAYA, July 24 (Bernama) -- Only Kuala Selangor recorded an unhealthy Air Pollution Index (API) reading as of 3 pm this afternoon, believed to be affected by transboundary haze, said Environment director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar. In a statement today, he said the Department of Environment's (DOE) API reading recorded two areas having good air quality status while 64 areas recorded moderate air quality status. "The deterioration in air quality in the affected areas is still affected by transboundary haze. There have been no major fires that could cause local haze," he said. Based on a report by the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) based in Singapore yesterday, Wan Abdul Latif said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 20 satellite images found that there were 42 hotspots detected in Sumatra and 91 hotspots detected in Kalimantan. Apart from that, he said, there were 13 hot spots detected in the country, 11 in Sarawak and one each in Pahang and Terengganu. "DOE has increased enforcement and daily patrol activities to areas with potential for open burning activities as well as monitoring API readings from time to time," he said. He said the National Open Burning Action Plan and the National Haze Action Plan (PTJK) had been activated to coordinate the actions of government agencies in addressing the issue of open burning and facing the national haze situation. "All landowners are advised to closely monitor areas that are prone to catch fire such as landfills, forests, peatlands, plantations, agricultural and industrial areas. "Landowners are also asked to take steps to prevent encroachment by irresponsible parties that cause open burning either for specific purposes or accidentally," he said.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Climate
- The Sun
Selangor haze alert: Parents can keep kids home as air quality drops
SHAH ALAM: Parents in Selangor may keep their children home from school as haze conditions worsen, the state government confirmed today. State Public Health and Environment Committee chairperson Jamaliah Jamaluddin said while absences will be excused, parents must inform schools. 'All principals and headmasters are advised to monitor the Air Pollutant Index (API) via the Department of Environment (DOE) website to ensure timely and appropriate action,' she said in a statement. Schools have received guidelines on response measures if API readings exceed 100 (unhealthy) or 200 (very unhealthy). Outdoor activities will be suspended, and schools may close if levels surpass 200. No haze-related illnesses or heatstroke cases have been reported in Selangor so far, according to the State Health Department (JKNS). API readings have improved in some areas, including Petaling Jaya (83), Klang (80), and Banting (81). However, Kuala Selangor remains unhealthy at 126. The Selangor DOE has activated its Open Burning Prevention Action Plan to curb fire risks during the dry spell. Enforcement teams are patrolling high-risk areas, and plantation owners have been instructed to tighten fire prevention measures. - Bernama
New York Post
2 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Soft ‘restorative justice' discipline policy a bust in NYC public schools — as violent incidents balloon to 4,200 this year: study
The New York City Department of Education's $100 million push to implement 'restorative justice' instead of stricter school discipline has been a bust — with violent incidents doubling to 4,200 reports this year and 'chronic absenteeism' spiking to a whopping 35%, a new study claims. The major shift in policy at city public schools started in 2015 under then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, when the DOE began requiring principals to obtain approval from the central office before suspending students in grades K–2. But 'what began as an alternative became a mandate, forcing administrators to abandon exclusionary options regardless of school context,' Jennifer Weber, an education behavioral researcher with the Manhattan Institute think tank, wrote in the report, released Thursday. Advertisement 8 Violent incidents have doubled to 4,200 reports this year in NYC public schools. Courtesy of Sidney Southerland 'NYC's implementation of RJ has failed to achieve its promises,' Weber said. 'The changes undermined teacher authority and weakened classroom order rather than improving school climate and advancing equity.' Restorative justice is the education establishment's equivalent of alternatives to jail programs for juveniles and criminals — focusing on mediation, conflict resolution, relationship building and harm reduction 'circles' of students and teachers, aimed at defusing and preventing misbehavior, fights and violence. Advertisement The goal is to improve school climate and curb more punitive punishment such as student suspensions, and advocates have pushed the changes in the name of racial and economic equity. Groups including the New York Civil Liberties Union have long complained that suspensions disproportionately punish minorities, particularly black students. But the new system ultimately did not lead to 'a shift from punishment to compassion,' Weber wrote, 'but the dismantling of the systems that had maintained basic classroom stability.' Weber's MI-funded study cited shocking examples — some highlighted in The Post — of students not being punished or held accountable for reprehensible and violent acts. Advertisement The Manhattan Institute's study on the city DOE's $100 million 'restorative justice' initiative highlights several shocking incidents, including: Students who subjected a Jewish teacher to Nazi salutes and threats at Brooklyn's Origins High School last year were sent to a 'meditation room' and their parents were called. But it did not stop the harassment. In May, an 8-year-old allegedly stabbed a staff member with a pencil and threatened classmates at PS 8. The school's response — a 'meditation room' and phone calls — was inadequate, families fumed. 'He has rights, and so does my child. If he's threatening my child, what am I supposed to do?' one parent said bluntly. The report also cites a 2022 study by the Center for Court Innovation in Brooklyn's District 18 conducted in five borough high schools with high suspension rates. It found that, despite implementing 'restorative justice' practices, there was no statistically significant difference, compared with other schools that stuck with the previous discipline system. Early last year, a Jewish teacher at Brooklyn's Origins High School was subjected to Nazi salutes and threats from students. But the school's response — making calls to parents and sending the students to spend time in a 'meditation room' — did not stop the harassment, the study noted. 8 Dara Kammerman was the interim principal of Origins High School. Advertisement The teacher, Danielle Kaminsky, and campus manager Michael Beaudry, who allege they were booted from the school in retaliation for blowing the whistle on anti-Jewish and anti-gay hate, eventually filed a pending lawsuit against the city. The case shows 'how RJ without consequences can leave staff vulnerable,' Weber wrote. In another stunning incident, the report notes how parents at P.S. 8 on Staten Island picketed their own school in May after an eight-year-old allegedly stabbed a staff member with a pencil and threatened classmates. 8 Parents at P.S. 8 on Staten Island picketed their own school in May. Obtained by the New York Post The families were outraged over the school's response, sending the student to a 'meditation room' and making phone calls to parents, fuming it was inadequate. 'He has rights, and so does my child. If he's threatening my child, what am I supposed to do?' one parent quoted in the report said bluntly. Weber noted: 'The incident reflects a broader concern when schools avoid consequences in the name of compassion, safety, and accountability.' The report also cites a 2022 study by the Center for Court Innovation conducted in five Brooklyn high schools with steep suspension rates. Advertisement 8 Pictured: Letter written by third graders at a Staten Island elementary school at PS 8 in Great Kills about a problematic student from their classroom. Obtained by the new York Post It found that, despite implementing restorative justice practices, there was no statistically significant difference in climate and suspensions compared with other schools that did not make changes in discipline. The new system may even be harmful, the study found, contributing to disorder, lack of accountability and possibly an increase in chronic absenteeism. Over the last decade since restorative justice began being rolled out, incidents that the NYPD's school safety division nearly doubled, from 1,200 in the first quarter of 2016 to 4,120 in the first quarter of 2025, records show. Advertisement Chronic student absenteeism — missing 10% of school days or 18 days in a given year — skyrocketed from 26.5% in the 2018–19 school year to 34.8% in 2023-24. 8 An eight-year-old allegedly stabbed a staff member with a pencil and threatened classmates. Obtained by the new York Post That percentage is equal to roughly one-third of kids in the nation's largest public school district, or some 300,000 students, regularly missing class. 'When classrooms feel chaotic or unpredictable,' the study said, 'students simply and regretfully opt out.' Advertisement At the same time, test scores have been less than stellar — with 53% of students in grades 3-8 meeting standards on the state's 2024 standardized math exam and 49% passing the English test. On the more rigorous National Assessment of Educational Progress tests, only 33% of city 4th graders and 23% of 8th graders were deemed proficient in math. 8 Ahmed Elmaliki replaced Dara Kammerman at Origins High School. Linkedin Ahmed E. Similarly, just 28% of 4th graders and 29% of 8th graders were found to be proficient in English. Advertisement The bombshell MI report comes after President Trump in April issued an executive order instructing schools to ban race as a factor when dealing with student discipline. The study said the DOE has spent a total of $99 million on restorative justice initiatives from 2015–2024 under both de Blasio and current Mayor Eric Adams. By the numbers: Cost of 'restorative justice' initiatives: $99 million between 2015-2024 Percentage of kids deemed 'chronically absent' from school (missing 10% of days) in 2023-24: 34.9%. That same percentage in 2018-19: 26.5% Number of incidents NYPD responded to in city schools so far this year: 4,120 That same number in 2016: 1,200 The report attributed the failure to produce improvements in student behavior and school safety to a lack of infrastructure and of consistent application to support the program. 'These outcomes highlight a basic problem: schools were never given the necessary tools to make lasting changes in student behavior,' Weber said. Weber said restorative justice programs can work to supplement — but not supplant — stricter disciplinary action. 8 The DOE has spent a total of $99 million on restorative justice initiatives from 2015–2024. Obtained by the new York Post For instance, 72% of charter schools report using restorative justice approaches without taking classroom removals and suspensions off the table. The study recommends that the mayor scrap the policy that forces principals to obtain central office approval before suspending K–2 students. It also urges the DOE to revise the discipline code to state that 'exclusionary consequences' such as suspensions are legitimate responses to serious or repeated misbehavior. 8 Pictured: Parents of third graders at a Staten Island elementary school at PS 8 in Great Kills rallying for the city Department of Education to boot one problematic student from their kids classroom. Obtained by the new York Post 'The result has not been better outcomes or more equity, but more disruption, frustration, and fewer tools for the people doing the work,' Weber said. A rep for Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos defended the policy as a success. Suspensions have plummeted by 48%, the DOE said, keeping more children in class and engaged. The DOE emphasized that suspensions are still imposed under the discipline code, coupled by robust restorative supports. 'While our young people are mandated to follow school rules – including the Discipline Code – we are working towards addressing any issues in a positive, supportive, and less punitive manner,' the spokesperson said. 'This strategy is working – suspensions and chronic absenteeism are down, and our students are safe, supported, and engaged.'
Malay Mail
3 hours ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
Selangor haze: Parents can keep kids home as API worsens, schools told to monitor conditions
SHAH ALAM, July 24 — Parents in Selangor are permitted to keep their children home from school due to health concerns amid worsening haze conditions, the state government said today. State Public Health and Environment Committee chairperson Jamaliah Jamaluddin said while student absences will be excused, parents or guardians must notify schools accordingly. 'All principals and headmasters are advised to monitor the Air Pollutant Index (API) via the Department of Environment (DOE) website to ensure timely and appropriate action,' she said in a statement. Schools have been issued a directive outlining response measures if API readings exceed 100 (unhealthy) or 200 (very unhealthy). These include suspending outdoor activities and, if levels surpass 200, closing schools immediately to safeguard students' health. As of today, no haze-related illnesses or heatstroke cases have been reported in Selangor, according to the State Health Department (JKNS), which continues to monitor the situation. API readings have dropped in several areas previously affected, with Petaling Jaya (83), Klang (80), Banting (81) and Johan Setia (88) showing improvement from highs of 150. Shah Alam recorded a moderate reading of 90, while Kuala Selangor remains in the unhealthy range at 126. To address the haze risk, the Selangor DOE has activated its Open Burning Prevention Action Plan amid concerns over increased fire activity during the current hot and dry spell. Local authorities and plantation owners have been directed to tighten fire prevention measures and boost public awareness. 'Enforcement teams are patrolling high-risk areas and operations are underway at identified hotspots to prevent open burning,' Jamaliah said. — Bernama
