Students use a cardboard to protect themselves from the sun during a hot day in Manila on April 2, 2024. More than a hundred schools in the Philippine capital shut their classrooms on April 2, as the tropical heat hit"danger" levels, education officials said.MANILA, Philippines — Extreme heat driven by climate change has forced the government to speed up its return to the old school calendar, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
This "aggressive" timeline, if approved, will reduce the total number of school days in SY 2024-2025 to 165 days, lower than the 200-220 days required by the law. Record-breaking temperatures in the past week have already forced over 7,000 public schools to suspend class instruction, reverting to the same remote learning setup that made students' learning uneven during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
A 2023 report by UNICEF East Asia and Pacific states that Philippines is among the world’s most dangerous countries in the world for children in terms of exposure to multiple types of overlapping climate and environmental shocks and stresses. Apart from its famous tourist attractions, the Philippines should make the most of its rich and diverse cuisine to attract...