A male student uses a bag to shade himself from the sun in Manila, Philippines on April 2 (Photo: AFP).
Students at about 7,000 schools in the Philippines last week switched to online learning at home because of unusually hot weather in many areas due to the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Erlinda Alfonso, a teacher at a public elementary school near the capital, said she “doesn’t know which is the more comfortable option for students” between squeezing into a sweltering classroom and studying online at home with the poor internet conditions.
“Some students told me they wanted to go to school because it was even hotter at home,” Ms. Alfonso said.
She added that she has many students who currently live in slums and do not have enough internet connection to attend online classes.
“The heat seriously affects children, some students even faint in class,” said Ms. Ruby Bernardo, ACT-NCR spokeswoman.
As the frequency and severity of heat waves increase, the problems faced by Filipino students and teachers will almost certainly occur in other regions.
Last week, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that about 243 million children in Asia and the Pacific are expected to experience longer heat waves and higher temperatures. According to UNICEF, children are especially vulnerable to heatstroke, and exposure to high temperatures for long periods of time will also affect children’s ability to concentrate and learn.
Since this El Nino episode began, the Philippine weather agency has predicted temperatures will rise to dangerous levels, up to 44 degrees Celsius.
