Schools closed in Philippines due to heatwave

Last Updated on April 7, 2024 4:06 am

The Ministry of Education of the Philippines has ordered the closure of regular class activities to avoid the unbearable heat wave. A notice in this regard was sent to all schools in the country last Thursday, AFP said in a report.

After receiving the notice on Thursday, 4 thousand 769 schools across the country were declared closed on the same day, another 5 thousand 288 schools were closed the next day on Friday. The authorities of these schools said that the online classes will continue until the temperature comes to a bearable level. Among these closed schools are 300 schools in the capital Manila.

It has been reported that the temperature of most of the provinces, including Manila, the capital of the Philippines, has been fluctuating between 42 degrees and 45 degrees Celsius for the past week.

Education Ministry officials said they expect most schools to suspend class activities within the next seven days.

Mayeti Paulino, a teacher at a school in Manila, told the AFP news agency, “I am saddened to see the condition of the students.” In the class, I see that almost everyone is tired from the heat. Even my most agile students are often not in a position to answer questions.

The total number of schools in the Philippines is more than 47 thousand. The central education ministry of the country is responsible for the maintenance of these schools. Most school classrooms do not have air conditioning (AC). As a result, students are suffering a lot while sitting in class in the scorching heat of April.