Sending pupils home during extreme heat may not always protect them from high temperatures, as some students could face hotter and less comfortable conditions outside their classrooms.
This concern emerged during a meeting between the Cebu City Government and local educators on Friday, where teachers and school administrators agreed to prepare a position paper for submission to the Department of Education (DepEd).
Mayor Nestor Archival said the city would consolidate the recommendations and forward them to DepEd in Manila as national officials review the guidelines for suspending face-to-face classes based on heat index readings.
He said educators raised concerns that a uniform suspension policy might not account for the different conditions in public and private schools, as well as the homes of their students.
Some public school representatives said classrooms could offer pupils more space and better ventilation than their homes, particularly those living in crowded households.
“Some said that when there are no classes, especially in public schools, it is actually hotter in the students’ homes. The children are more comfortable inside the school because there is more space,” Archival said.
Teachers also observed that some pupils might spend time outdoors when schools suspend classes.
“There were teachers who said that when students have no classes, they just go around and roam outside,” the mayor said.
Private school representatives, meanwhile, pointed to their air-conditioned classrooms and raised concerns that students sent home might also use air-conditioning units, increasing household electricity consumption.
“Private schools said their students are not as affected by the heat index because their classrooms have air-conditioning. If we send them home, they will also use their air-conditioners, which could increase our electricity consumption,” Archival said.
Archival said the city would await the outcome of a scheduled meeting between DepEd and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on Monday, Nov. 9, for further guidance on using heat index readings to determine class suspensions.
“There is a meeting in Manila regarding Pagasa’s report and the heat index that we should follow in deciding when to suspend classes. Perhaps the guidelines could still be revised, so we will wait for that,” he said.
The mayor said Cebu City would continue following existing guidelines while waiting for further instructions from national authorities.
He said the position paper would allow local educators to present their experiences and concerns to national officials.
“Schools have different situations. That is why the teachers and school administrators agreed to submit a position paper so we can send their concerns to DepEd in Manila and make them aware of what is happening here,” Archival said.
The recommendations are expected to help DepEd consider the varying conditions students face when deciding whether to suspend in-person classes during periods of extreme heat.
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