Across Sumatra and Borneo, Haze Turns School Days Quiet as Millions of Students Move Learning Indoors

In some parts of Indonesia, the morning usually begins with motorcycles heading toward school gates, uniforms moving along neighborhood roads and classrooms slowly filling with conversation. This September, that familiar rhythm has changed. In areas affected by forest and land fires, smoke has turned the journey to school into a question of air quality, bringing lessons temporarily back into homes.

As of September 2, approximately 1.43 million students from 12,874 schools across six provinces had shifted to remote learning because of poor air quality caused by forest and land fires, according to Indonesia's Education Ministry.

The affected provinces include Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra on Sumatra, along with West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan on Borneo. West Kalimantan accounts for the largest share, with about 1.1 million students affected, according to ministry officials.

The remote-learning arrangement began on August 31 and was scheduled through September 4, with conditions to be reviewed every three days. Decisions about whether students should remain at home are linked to local air-quality readings, allowing schools to adjust according to conditions in their respective areas.

In several locations, the air has deteriorated considerably. Reports citing government data said some areas in Kalimantan recorded pollution readings above 1,000, while the Southeast Pontianak area in West Kalimantan reached 1,023. Indonesia's air-quality classification considers readings above 300 hazardous.

The school closures are part of a much broader response to a difficult fire season. Reuters reported that nearly 95,000 hectares burned in July, while more than 9,000 hotspots were detected during August. Dry conditions associated with a strong El Niño have helped create an environment in which fires can spread more readily.

The geography of the fires adds another layer of difficulty. Peatlands in parts of Borneo can allow fires to continue smoldering beneath the surface, making them difficult to extinguish even when flames are not immediately visible. Authorities have deployed firefighting aircraft and cloud-seeding operations as part of efforts to contain the spread of smoke.

For schools, the challenge is therefore twofold. Moving classes online reduces students' exposure to unhealthy outdoor air, while teachers and education authorities must keep lessons moving despite the disruption. The government has also prepared flexible learning arrangements and emergency protocols for schools affected by haze.

The scale of the interruption is considerable, but the temporary shift also shows how quickly ordinary systems can change when environmental conditions cross a certain threshold. A classroom does not always have to disappear for learning to continue; sometimes its walls simply move elsewhere, into homes connected by screens and messages.

For the students waiting for clearer skies, the return to school will ultimately depend on air quality and the progress of firefighting efforts. Until then, lessons continue from a different kind of classroom, while the landscape outside remains shaped by smoke, weather and the slow work of containing fire.

AI Image Disclaimer The illustrations in this article are AI-generated contextual images. They are intended to visualize the reported circumstances and should not be interpreted as documentary photographs of the affected schools or communities.

Sources Reuters The Jakarta Post Indonesia Ministry of Education ABC News Australia