REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Education and Culture Minister Anies Baswedan has urged schools located in regions badly hit by haze to close temporarily for the sake of the health of teachers and students.

Minister Baswedan told a press conference here on Thursday that health and safety of students and teachers is the first priority, and education comes next.

He explained that students and teachers would receive special treatment in the matter of material required for students' examinations and salaries for the teachers in the light of frequent closures of the schools hit by haze.

When the situation returns to normal, the government will conduct an evaluation regarding the impact of closure of schools on the students.

The Environmental Affairs Ministry said haze has badly shrouded South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Sumatra, Jambi and Riau.

Among the six provinces, Central Kalimantan is the worst affected, as reflected by the standard pollutant index that had reached 1,950 on Oct. 20, far surpassing the threshold of 300 to 500, described as a categorically hazardous level. The standard pollutant index in Jambi was 945.

Despite the hazardous level of air quality, some regions insisted that schools must remain open because they were worried that teachers' salaries might be cut or students would miss the learning materials that they need to face the upcoming examinations.

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