Studying During the Haze: A Practical Guide for Singapore Parents

Studying During the Haze: A Practical Guide for Singapore Parents

When haze affects Singapore, parents have another concern to manage alongside homework, tuition and examinations: how can their child keep learning while staying well?

Changes to outdoor activities or lesson arrangements can interrupt a familiar routine. For students preparing for examinations, uncertainty may also make it harder to concentrate.

A manageable study plan can help families maintain some consistency. The aim is to keep learning purposeful while allowing room for rest, official guidance and changing circumstances.

Start With Reliable Information

Before changing your child’s schedule, check current air-quality information and messages from their school.

The National Environment Agency’s haze website provides air-quality readings, forecasts and health advisories. Use these updates alongside official school instructions rather than relying on photographs of the skyline or messages circulating in parent chat groups. [1]

School closure decisions require an official announcement. In its 9 October 2026 report on the Haze Task Force’s guidance, CNA reported that MOE would consider closures when the following day’s forecast enters the hazardous range, with a 24-hour PSI exceeding 300. This is a contingency arrangement; a reading alone should not be treated as confirmation that school is closed. [2]

For children, a simple explanation is usually enough: “We will check the school’s message and adjust our plans if needed.” This gives them a clear next step without asking them to worry about every update.

Keep the Routine Familiar and Flexible

If normal activities change, preserve a few familiar parts of the day. A regular waking time, planned study periods and a clear finishing time can give children a sense of structure.

Avoid filling every cancelled activity with extra worksheets. Instead, choose a small number of useful tasks based on what your child needs.

A primary school student might review a multiplication concept, complete a short reading activity and correct a few previous mistakes. A secondary school student might revise one topic, attempt selected questions and identify anything to clarify with a teacher or tutor.

A focused plan is easier to follow than a long list of unfinished work. Adjust its length to your child’s age, energy and ability to concentrate.

Use Revision to Resolve Specific Difficulties

When routines are disrupted, it can be tempting to measure progress by the number of pages completed. A more useful question is whether the child understands something better after studying.

Ask your child to choose one question they found difficult and explain where they became unsure. Was it understanding the wording, choosing a method or carrying out the steps?

This creates a clear purpose for the next study session. A child who struggles to interpret a Maths word problem may benefit from discussing what each sentence means before attempting another set of questions.

For tuition, share these specific difficulties with the tutor. A short explanation of where the child is stuck can help make the next lesson more relevant.

Make Indoor Breaks Part of the Plan

Remaining indoors does not mean children need to study continuously.

Reading for enjoyment, drawing, puzzles and quiet family activities can provide a change of pace between academic tasks. Give children some choice over their breaks so the day does not feel like an extended school timetable.

Follow current official health advice when deciding on activities. If your child feels unwell or has an existing medical condition, seek appropriate medical advice and adjust expectations accordingly.

Rest should remain part of the day, including during examination preparation.

Clarify Tuition Arrangements Early

Parents can reduce uncertainty by checking how their tuition provider will communicate any changes.

Find out whether an affected lesson can move online, how replacement lessons are arranged and what materials your child would need at home. These arrangements differ between providers, so it helps to confirm them directly.

For an online lesson, prepare the relevant worksheets and a suitable device beforehand. Encourage your child to note down questions before class so lesson time can focus on the areas where help is needed.

The practical goal is continuity: keeping the child connected to support when their usual arrangements change.

Follow Official Examination Instructions

For students taking national examinations, avoid making assumptions about whether a paper will proceed.

CNA’s 9 October report stated that, if school closures coincide with national examinations, affected papers would be rescheduled and the examination period extended. School candidates would receive information through their schools, while private candidates would be informed through SEAB. [2]

Until an official change is announced, continue preparing according to the existing timetable. Keep essential materials ready and check the relevant communication channel at sensible intervals.

Parents can help by handling the administrative updates, allowing the student to focus on preparation and rest.

Help Your Child Focus on the Next Manageable Step

Children take cues from how adults respond to uncertainty. Frequent speculation about closures or missed lessons can make a temporary disruption feel much larger.

Bring the conversation back to what can be done today: finish one useful task, ask for help with one difficult concept and prepare for the next lesson.

At Educare Tutoring, we encourage families to focus on steady understanding and manageable progress. A flexible routine can help children continue learning through disruption while keeping their wellbeing central to the plan.

Sources

[1] National Environment Agency — Haze: Air Quality, Forecasts and Health Advisories

Official resource for current haze information.

[2] Channel NewsAsia — N95 masks to be distributed to more vulnerable individuals once 24-hour PSI exceeds 200: Haze Task Force

Reports the government’s school and national-examination contingency arrangements.