Malaysia’s haze-related school closures leave parents scrambling to keep children on track for exams

JOHOR BAHRU: Outside housewife Jacques Meena Micheal’s terrace home in Johor’s Pasir Gudang district, a thick haze lingers and the smell of acrid smoke is pervasive. Inside, the 35-year-old has a different problem on her hands – keeping her five children focused on their lessons with just three electronic devices and a patchy internet connection. The siblings are learning from home after Johor ordered schools and educational institutions across the state to remain closed until at least Oct 16 due to transboundary haze caused by widespread land and forest fires in Indonesia. “It’s difficult for them to study because the…