The Education Ministry said in its October 10 statement that State Education Directors will decide daily whether schools operate normally or use home-based teaching and learning, known as BDR-PdPR. The decision follows air-pollution monitoring by task forces involving State Education Departments and District Education Offices.

Weekend notices are to be issued by 2.45pm on Saturdays for Group A schools and Sundays for Group B schools. On other days, the deadline is before 5.45pm, using Air Pollutant Index readings released by the Department of Environment. The earlier weekend notice is intended to help families organise travel to boarding schools or journeys home.

For Kuching and other Sarawak families, the notice from the State Education Department, District Education Office or their own school is the information to act on. This ministry-wide arrangement is not itself an announcement that a particular Sarawak school is closed or that all schools are switching to home-based learning.