Group wants schools installed with solar panels

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government should “take drastic measures” to address difficulties faced by students and teachers during the dry and hot season instead of shifting to the old academic calendar, according to a youth climate activism group.

The Stewards and Volunteers for the Earth Philippines said solar panels should be installed in schools and fossil fuels need to be abandoned.

As for the academic calendar, teachers’ groups earlier confirmed that the Department of Education agreed to start classes on July 29 for the coming school year as part of the gradual return to the old June-March schedule that would fully take hold three school years from now.

“The plan of the government to shift the school calendar like what they did in the past to avoid typhoons during school days does not solve the actual problem that is the climate crisis, rooted in the destruction of the environment and continuous reliance on fossil fuels that is the leading cause of the global rise in temperature,” the youth group said in a statement.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, public schools had to start the school year in October 2020. The academic calendar opened in August when full onsite classes resumed last year.

Various groups had called for the previous school calendar to return due to the heat experienced in March and April.

The previous year was recorded as the warmest since 1850. The dry and hot season was felt throughout schools with dozens of students hospitalized due to dehydration.