DepEd mulls changing class skeds to better cope with heat
With the heat index expected to rise as the country braces for the dry season, the Department of Education (DepEd) is proposing a change in class schedules and a shift to remote learning to spare students from the impact of extreme temperatures.
Also among the remedies laid down by Education Secretary Sonny Angara to ensure the safety and well-being of students, teachers and nonteaching personnel from the extreme heat are additional “water and rest breaks” and the provision of more electric fans in schools.
The weather bureau on Sunday began to record a sudden rise in the heat index in Metro Manila and other areas in Luzon, which hit the “danger” level of 42 to 51 degrees Celsius and was forecast to rise further.
The heat index is based on the apparent temperature, or what humans perceive to be the temperature affecting their bodies. This is measured by combining data of the actual air temperature and the relative humidity.
Ready to shift
At least eight cities in Metro Manila on Monday suspended classes in public schools following the heat index forecast.
Angara said DepEd was ready to shift to alternative delivery modalities (ADMs), or transitioning to remote or asynchronous learning.
In a statement to the Inquirer, Angara said schools would turn to remote learning when the heat index reaches 42 C or higher, “or based on directives from the local government unit.”
He said schools would also need to avoid outdoor activities during the “peak heat hours.” Teachers, he said, should limit their classes’ physical activities or to at least hold these in covered courts or spaces.
Angara said class schedules would be adjusted, with morning sessions starting at 6 a.m. until 10 a.m., asynchronous learning from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and afternoon sessions from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
‘Danger’ levels
According to data gathered as of 5 p.m. on Monday, the weather bureau’s heat index shows Dagupan City in Pangasinan reaching “danger” levels of 42 C on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Most cities and towns in the country are expected to reach the “extreme caution” category in the same two-day period, with temperatures ranging from 33 to 41 C.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), a heat index is classified under the “danger” level if it falls within 42 to 51 C. Under this category, Pagasa said “heat cramps and heat exhaustion are likely,” and “heatstroke is probable with continued exposure.”
For the “extreme caution” category, the weather bureau said “heat cramps and heat exhaustion are possible” and “continuing activity could lead to heatstroke.”
Pagasa forecast
Only seven of Pagasa’s stations in the following areas forecast a heat index below 33 C for Tuesday and Wednesday: Itbayat and Basco in Batanes; Baguio City and La Trinidad in Benguet; Tanay, Rizal; Romblon, Romblon; and Juban, Sorsogon.
Pagasa’s stations in Legazpi City, Albay; Pili, Camarines Sur; and Surigao City, Surigao del Sur, showed a heat index of below 33 C on Tuesday. Wednesday’s forecast for these areas, however, show a heat index of 33 C.
A heat index within the range of 27 to 32 C falls under the “caution” category, with Pagasa noting that prolonged exposure can cause fatigue and continuing activity can lead to heat cramps.
According to a 5 p.m. broadcast on Tuesday by weather specialist Veronica Torres, the easterlies, which are warm air coming from the Pacific Ocean, continue to affect the country and will bring cloudy skies and scattered rain showers over areas in Mindanao.
While fair weather is expected in Metro Manila and in other parts of the country, Torres warned that people should still take caution due to the hot and humid weather in the afternoon.
Pagasa earlier said that the effects of the northeast monsoon (“amihan”), which brought cooler weather in the previous months, would end within this month.
In line with the shift to ADMs amid the extreme heat, Angara said DepEd was also preparing the production of self-learning modules and ensuring the availability of learning resources through online portals.
He said the government would remove obstructions that “restrict airflow” in classrooms.
“Hydration stations” and insulated water containers will be placed in schools, with classrooms provided with first aid kits that include cooling packs and thermometers, he added.
DepEd’s disaster response and risk reduction units, along with local governments and other agencies, will also conduct electrical, fire and safety inspections while school medical personnel have been tasked to monitor and prevent any “heat-related issues” such as cramps, exhaustion and stroke.
Stop being ‘reactive’
In the House of Representatives, Deputy Minority Leader France Castro on Tuesday called on her colleagues to prioritize the passage of measures that would keep the country’s educational institutions safe and healthy, expressing grave concern over the worsening conditions in public schools amid the extreme heat.
Castro, who represents ACT Teachers party list, pointed out that suspending classes was a mere “reactive measure” when long-term solutions, including the return of the June-March school calendar, could be put in place.
“What we are witnessing is the direct consequence of decades of government neglect of our public school infrastructure,” Castro said, adding: “Our classrooms have become virtual ovens, with temperatures reaching dangerous levels that no child should have to endure while trying to learn.”
She asserted that the real problem was the lack of facilities that could protect students and teachers in the climate crisis. —WITH A REPORT FROM JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE
