Early holiday, more fans: Schools adapt to climate change

Kindergarten teacher Lolita Akim fires up five standing fans with three more at the ready as she fights to hold the attention of her pint-sized pupils in Manila’s soaring heat.

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Last year, heatwaves forced millions of children in the Philippines out of school. It was the first time that soaring temperatures had caused widespread class suspensions, prompting a series of changes.

This school year started two months earlier than usual, so the term ends before peak heat in May. Classes have been rearranged to keep children out of the midday heat, and schools are equipped with fans and water stations.

The moves are examples of how countries are adapting to the higher temperatures caused by climate change, often with limited resources.

As a teacher, Akim is on the frontlines of the battle to keep her young charges safe and engaged.

“In this weather, they get drenched in sweat; they become uneasy and stand up often. Getting them to pay attention is more difficult,” she said of the five-year-olds in her care at the Senator Benigno S. Aquino Elementary School.

Some six million students lost up to two weeks’ worth of classroom learning last year as temperatures hit a record 38.8 degrees Celsius, according to the education department.

Schools reported cases of heat exhaustion, nose bleeds and hospitalizations as students struggled through lessons in classrooms without air conditioning.

Scientists say that extreme heat is a clear marker of climate change, caused largely by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.