Hello and welcome to the details of Philippine students suffer in wilting heat, thwarting education efforts and now with the details
Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - Children take a bath in a bucket during a hot day in Manila, Philippines, April 25, 2024. — Reuters pic
MANILA, April 29 — Sweltering heat in the Philippines can curb farm production, disrupt water and power and weigh on businesses, but it also takes a toll on students, hampering the South-east Asian nation’s efforts to catch up to its neighbours in education.
Temperatures have hit 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in various regions in the Philippines, as the weather phenomenon El Nino intensifies the heat enveloping the nation in its summer months of March to May.
The Philippines scores among the lowest in the world in math, science and reading, partly because of years of inadequate remote learning during the pandemic, according to the Programme for International Student Assessment, an international study of education systems.
“It is extremely hot now. The heat burns my skin, it’s not like the usual (summer) heat that is tolerable,” said senior high school student Kirt Mahusay, 23, whose education was halted during Covid-19.
Advertisement
Thousands of schools have suspended classes due to the heat, affecting more than 3.6 million students, education ministry data shows.
“In May, we’re expecting more class suspensions because of the heatwaves. We’re seeing an average of more than 52 degrees Celsius (125 F), so you could imagine how stressful that would be for learners,” said Xerxes Castro, basic education adviser for the Save the Children Philippines.
The wilting heat — part of a band spreading across much of South and South-east Asia, exacerbated by climate change — makes it harder for students to learn.
Advertisement
Children are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses such as dizziness, vomiting and fainting when exposed to extreme heat for long periods, according to Save the Children Philippines.
Students and teachers have expressed concerns about difficulties in remote teaching and learning, especially in poorer areas where homes are not conducive for studying and may lack access to good internet connectivity.
“I could not focus because I get dizzy” from the heat, Esmaira Solaiman, a 20-year-old senior high school student whose learning was delayed during the pandemic, said after attending an online class from home.
Students attending in-person classes in the capital Manila resort to portable fans, notebooks and even cardboard boxes for a bit of breeze to offer relief.
“My blood pressure is already increasing because of the heat,” said 62-year-old secondary school teacher Memia Santos. “Our backs are wet and at times we get dizzy.” — Reuters
These were the details of the news Philippine students suffer in wilting heat, thwarting education efforts for this day. We hope that we have succeeded by giving you the full details and information. To follow all our news, you can subscribe to the alerts system or to one of our different systems to provide you with all that is new.
It is also worth noting that the original news has been published and is available at Malay Mail and the editorial team at AlKhaleej Today has confirmed it and it has been modified, and it may have been completely transferred or quoted from it and you can read and follow this news from its main source.