MANILA, Philippines — As students struggle to deal with extreme heat in schools, the Department of Education on Tuesday issued reminders to parents and teachers to safeguard the wellbeing of learners.
Teachers and students are raising concerns about the impacts of summer heat on their health as well as the conduct of classroom learning.
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In a briefing, Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire urged parents and students to do the following:
- Remind children to drink water oftenw
- Make children wear light clothes so they are comfortable
- Do not go or play outside when sunlight is intense
- Bring umbrella
Vergeire also reminded teachers and school personnel to open windows and doors of classrooms, and turn on fans during classes.
“We should also remind our students ways to prevent dehydration or heat illness, and they must tell you immediately if they experience any symptoms,” she said.
Over the weekend, the Department of Education reminded heads of public and private schools that they can suspend in-person classes and instead implement modular distance learning due to extreme heat.
The agency acknowledged that extremely high temperatures can “considerably affect the conduct of classroom learning and put the learners’ health and well-being at risk.”
The DepEd previously said that it was studying the possibility of implementing the old academic calendar that will allow students to take their vacations during the warm months of April and May. — Gaea Katreena Cabico with Cristina Chi