Thousands of schools in the Philippines canceled in-person classes on Friday as some areas in the country endured dangerously high temperatures, the Education Department said.
According to official figures, 5,288 schools across the archipelago have switched to remote learning, affecting more than 3.6 million students.
In March…
Thousands of schools in the Philippines canceled in-person classes on Friday as some areas in the country endured dangerously high temperatures, the Education Department said.
According to official figures, 5,288 schools across the archipelago have switched to remote learning, affecting more than 3.6 million students.
March, April and May are typically the hottest and driest months on the archipelago, but the El Niño phenomenon makes the situation even worse.
Many schools do not have air conditioning, leaving students sweltering in crowded classrooms with poor ventilation.
The Ministry of Education issued a recommendation giving school principals the power to decide when to switch to remote learning “in the event of extreme heat or other disasters.”
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Some schools have shortened class times to avoid classes during the hottest parts of the day.
The state's weather forecaster said the heat index was expected to reach “dangerous” levels of 42 or 43 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country on Friday.
In Manila, the heat index is expected to reach 40 degrees, a “high alert” level that could cause heat cramps and exhaustion.
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A country's heat index measures the perceived temperature, taking into account humidity.
The actual maximum temperature in Manila on Friday was 35.5 degrees.
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