SEVERAL teachers in Pasir Gudang are disappointed with their superiors and the state and district education authorities for ignoring their health and safety following the toxic-waste crisis which started on March 7.

They accused their superiors of ignoring their health by asking them to come back to their schools which were closed on March 7 to clean up tables, chairs and other facilities with antiseptic liquid three days later.

“The pollution incident started on March 7 (Thursday), following which the schools near the affected toxic dump site were closed for two days, March 8 and 9.

“However, on March 10, the teachers were instructed to come to school to do the clean-up work so that we can be ready for school on March 11,” a teacher, whose school was only 500m from the river where the toxic waste was dumped, told The Malaysian Insight.

“And at that time, we had no information whatsoever to say if it was safe to return,” said the teacher who requested anonymity.

During that time, the air in the area smelled of a mixture of diesel, kerosene and burning tyres, the teacher said.

However, not all the teachers from that particular school came back for the clean-up job. Of 150 teachers working in the school, only about 20 showed up.

“And as a result, we had four teachers being admitted for treatment. Two of them are still admitted,” said the teacher.

The incident was first reported to the Fire and Rescue Department and the Pasir Gudang Health Department on March 7 by the authorities at SMK Pasir Putih and SK Pasir Putih.

Following that, eight ambulances were sent to the school to treat 24 pupils, a teacher and a canteen worker.

The next day, a total of 39 people were treated and the number rose to 79 on March 9. On March 10, the number of victims hit 82.

“When the school was reopened on March 11, we had the second attack and more pupils were affected, and admitted to hospital,” said the teacher.

The teacher added that the school told them it was safe to return to school on March 11, supposedly based on information shared by the Fire and Rescue Department and the Environment Department with the state authorities.

Another teacher told The Malaysian Insight that a majority of the teachers were not convinced over the information.

“When we asked for written assurance, the school administration ignored us,” said a second teacher.

The green light was shared among the teachers in a phone message applications.

The state Education Department held a meeting with the teachers of the two affected schools on March 12 in SMK Kota Masai 2.

“We thought the department was going to apologise to us for asking us to return to school when it was not safe but they instead asked us on ways to continue out lessons while the schools are closed.

“We had pupils admitted to hospital, some were under stress. But the Education Department was only interested in how to continue with classes. I don’t understand what they really want,” said the teacher.

In one school, the administrators failed to call in ambulance to fetch seven affected pupils and instead called the parents to pick up their children, the teacher said.

Some parents were also upset that the school failed to inform them when their children were admitted to the hospital.

“They are angry and have communicated with some teachers. They are talking about taking legal action against the school.”

Another teacher who works in the Seri Alam area said her colleagues were asked to return to school on March 13 even when the Education Ministry ordered the schools in the affected areas to be closed.

“Pupils were told to stay away but teachers were asked to come in on the grounds of stand operating procedure. Has the SOP become more important than our lives?

“We were only in the staffroom, not doing anything. There were some teachers who were vomiting but they were not allowed to go back,” the teacher said, adding that they were finally allowed to return at 5pm.

“When we question this, we are told that as civil servants, we have to listen to our superiors,” added the teacher.

The illegal dumping of chemicals into the river last week affected the health of more than 1,000 people, mostly pupils of schools situated along Sg Kim Kim. A total of 11 schools in the area have been ordered to be closed until further notice.

Education Minister Maszlee Malik in a statement said teachers and other staff in these schools need not come to work during the closure period. – March 15, 2019.