Senate to tackle heat’s toll on education, remote learning hurdles

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate committee on basic education will conduct a hearing to discuss the impact of extreme heat on classes, its chairperson said Monday, as the exceptionally hot weather forces the closure of schools in the country. 

The Department of Education (DepEd) announced the suspension of face-to-face classes at all public schools for Monday and Tuesday after the temperature in Manila hit a record 38.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday. 

The hot weather exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon and climate change is expected to persist until mid-May, according to state weather bureau PAGASA. 

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the hearing scheduled on Tuesday will also tackle the challenges posed by Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs), such as the lack of internet access in some households and the difficulties parents encounter in supporting their children with remote learning. 

“There are parents who are not entirely in favor of online or blended learning because they feel their child isn’t learning much, and they end up answering their textbooks or workbooks themselves,” Gatchalian said in Filipino. 

“It seems that many parents still prefer face-to-face classes. Nevertheless, many classes have been suspended in recent days due to the extreme heat. We’ll balance all of that,” he added.

The absence of airconditioning in many Philippine schools subjects students to stifling heat in crowded and poorly ventilated classrooms, raising concerns about their health and ability to learn. 

A survey conducted by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) in 2023 revealed that 87% of teachers said students are having difficulty focusing on their lessons due to hot weather. Thirty-seven percent said extreme heat triggered their pre-existing medical condition. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Philippines adjusted the academic calendar year, shifting it to run from August till May.

The education department is gradually reverting back to the academic calendar year, when classes begin in June and end in March. 

While DepEd has initiated a transition back to a June school opening, Gatchalian urged the agency to study the possibility of a shorter timeframe.

Global temperatures hit record highs last year, with the World Meteorological Organization highlighting a particularly rapid warming trend across Asia. 

Climate change is causing heat waves to become longer, more frequent, and more severe.