Class suspensions due to extreme heat during this time of year warrants the shift back to a June to March school calendar, pressed a lawmaker.
“Our classrooms have become virtual ovens, with temperatures reaching dangerous levels that no child should have to endure while trying to learn,” said House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro, who previously authored House Bill 8550, which would pull back the school year from August to June again.
She clarified the issue was not the heat itself, but the lack of infrastructure to protect students from rising temperatures amid the climate crisis.
“What we are witnessing is the direct consequence of decades of government neglect of our public school infrastructure,” she said.
The suspension of classes prompted by unregulated heat highlights persistent issues such as classroom shortages, poor ventilation, and a lack of health facilities remain unresolved, Castro stated.
The congresswoman stressed that the implementation of measures to ensure the safety and health of students and teachers alike can afford no delays.
“We need immediate action to address the 250,000 classroom shortage, provide proper ventilation systems, and ensure that every school has functioning clinics with trained health personnel,” Castro said.
