--- title: "Should schools shut amid worsening haze? Parents and teachers divided over health risks, childcare woes" url: "/trending-now/should-schools-shut-amid-worsening-haze-parents-and-teachers-divided-over-health-risks-childcare" published: "2026-10-16T12:16:39.000Z" updated: "2026-10-16T12:19:04.000Z" section: "Trending Now" authors: ["Trixy Toh"] tags: ["TNP News","Schools","haze","parents","teachers","health","childcare"] --- # Should schools shut amid worsening haze? Parents and teachers divided over health risks, childcare woes *As the haze situation worsened over the past week, parents and teachers have found themselves divided over whether schools should remain open or close.* As the haze situation worsened over the past week, parents and teachers have found themselves divided over whether schools should remain open or close. Online posts reflect growing concerns about the haze’s impact on children’s health, as well as the challenges parents face in arranging childcare and teachers’ worries about their own well-being. ![schools haze parents teachers health childcare](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/12bce734a2a3c499fef4cf5ded0a2c9458cb49e8df790316a1f3af1b9e612423) *MOE will announce any closures by around 8pm the day before through schools and its official channels.* ## Should schools shut amid worsening haze? In a Facebook post on the Complaint Singapore page on Oct 16, a user questioned why schools remain open despite worsening haze conditions, warning that haze particles could pose “serious health risks, especially to children”. “Shouldn’t their health take priority over maintaining business as usual? Must we wait for a health crisis before taking action?” the user asked. The post has since drawn more than 230 comments, with netizens divided over concerns for children’s health and the challenges of arranging alternative childcare if schools close. Some commenters echoed the poster’s concerns, with one arguing that schools should not wait for haze conditions to deteriorate further before closing. “Schools should close and turn to digital classrooms and have activities covering them from 9am to 6pm,” one said. However, many netizens pointed out that school closures would affect working parents, especially those without alternative childcare arrangements. “Closing a school is not so simple,” one said. “They have to consider those families who have both parents working and no one to look after the kids.” “You think so easy to keep all kids at home? Some parents may not have enough leave,” another commenter said. Others, however, argued that parents could choose to keep their children at home if they were concerned about the haze situation, regardless of whether schools remained open. ## Parents torn between childcare woes and health risks Speaking to Stomp, Desiree, a 41-year-old mother of two children aged five and eight, said she was “really worried” about how she would cope if schools closed. In addition to having a demanding full-time job, she has already exhausted all her childcare leave and a significant amount of annual leave to care for her children during previous school closures. “If schools close, my ability to focus and do my job properly will definitely be affected,” Desiree said, adding that she would feel “very frustrated and helpless.” She stressed that it was not that she did not want to spend time with her children, but that it is “incredibly challenging” to juggle her job while caring for her two young kids. Desiree also called it “upsetting” that parents were being put in such a “difficult position”. “We’re expected to continue meeting our work commitments while somehow finding alternative childcare at short notice, often with very little leave left to fall back on,” she said, adding that she has limited family support. Desiree was also especially concerned about her daughter, who attends a primary school with non-air-conditioned classrooms and is prone to coughs and colds. She noted that her daughter’s school allows students to buy food from the canteen and eat in their classrooms, with the windows closed and fans switched on to minimise their exposure to the haze. While she appreciated the precautionary measures, Desiree is worried about how hot and humid the classrooms might get. > It’s a difficult balance between protecting them from the haze and keeping them comfortable, and there’s only so much schools can do if conditions worsen. > > — Desiree Yvonne Chia, 48, who also spoke to Stomp, voiced concerns about the worsening haze and its impact on children’s health. ![schools haze parents teachers health childcare](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/be04ad618f73fb1ef4a8e22668fc53851da59768ffc320922344118aa7ffdc29) *“We should not be waiting till PSI crosses 300,” Chia said.* Even as an adult, the real estate agent said she could barely stay outdoors without experiencing irritation in her nose and throat. “What’s more for young children who have to be in school with no air-conditioning and breathing in the same air for hours?” she questioned. Chia cited medical reports highlighting the potential harm that polluted air can pose to young children, even after short periods of exposure. “We should not be waiting till PSI crosses 300,” she said. Chia felt that continuing with in-person lessons would place an additional burden on the healthcare sector, with personnel having to attend to more vulnerable patients on top of those already under its care for respiratory conditions. Acknowledging that school closures would create disruptions for working families, Chia stressed that protecting children’s long-term health “must come first”, even if it means temporarily adjusting their routines and activities. ## Only MOE schools considered for closure: Teachers divided Beyond parents, a teacher has also taken to social media to voice her frustration, questioning why school closures were being considered for MOE schools but not pre-schools and childcare centres. In a Threads post on Oct 14, user @heytams_ highlighted the health concerns of preschool teachers, stressing that they are “human too” and that young children are more vulnerable to falling sick. “What about the health of us pre-school teachers?” she asked. Education Minister Desmond Lee said in a post on Oct 10 that MOE might consider closing schools and postponing examinations if the 24-hour PSI was forecast to reach the hazardous range. Heytams_’s Threads post has since garnered over 21,000 views and 60 comments. Some users echoed her concerns, with one describing pre-school teachers as “frontliners”. Another hoped the public would recognise the importance of early childhood educators, saying: “In times of crisis, they are expected to operate as per normal or everything will go to sh*t.” One commenter acknowledged the teachers’ concerns but warned of the “wider knock-on effect” if all pre-schools and childcare centres closed, potentially disrupting workplaces and essential services. Stomp has reached out to heytams_ for comment. Mandy, a teacher at an MOE Kintergardens (MKs), told Stomp that the school is required to keep all windows shut despite having no air-conditioning. “Although there are two air purifiers in the classroom, it is so stuffy,” the 32-year-old said, adding that the PSI was in the low 100s at the time.” Responding to the Threads post, Mandy shared that most MKs, like primary and secondary schools, do not have air-conditioned classrooms, while many childcare centres do. She added that even though air-conditioned classrooms could make it more feasible to keep schools open, the worsening haze has made conditions in their classrooms increasingly difficult. Voicing concerns for teachers, Chia said teachers at her child’s school were not wearing masks in class. She added that teachers spend much of the day speaking, which could place additional strain on them amid elevated haze levels. “I hope their health and well-being can also be given due consideration, and that measures can be put in place to protect both students and educators while minimising disruptions to learning,” said Chia. Stomp has reached out to the Ministry of Education (MOE) for comment. ## Schools to remain open, national exams to proceed as scheduled Speaking at the haze task force’s press conference on Oct 16, Minister Lee said that schools will remain open and national examinations will proceed as scheduled. Students taking their O- and A-Level exams will do so in enclosed, air-conditioned venues with air purifiers. However, MOE may reschedule O-level papers if the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) forecast exceeds 300. Lee acknowledged the childcare challenges school closures could pose for working parents. MOE kindergartens (MKs), Kindergarten Care, and ECDA-licensed preschools will therefore remain open. The MOE will announce any closures by around 8pm the day before through schools and its official channels, said Lee in a Facebook post on Oct 10.