Extreme Heat Forces Thousands of Philippine Students Out of School

Extreme heat across the Philippines has forced schools throughout the country to suspend classes or switch to online education.

Transcript

00:00 Fans, notebooks, and even pieces of cardboard.

00:04 A sweltering heatwave has swept the Philippines and classrooms have become unbearable.

00:09 "Here in the Philippines, it is really hot.

00:15 It is as if it is being pierced by a bullet.

00:19 It is not like the usual heat that is tolerable.

00:23 Now, I can't stand the heat."

00:28 The heat index has hit 50 degrees Celsius in some areas, becoming a health hazard, especially

00:34 for young people.

00:36 "We should understand that they are really prone to several effects of extreme heat and

00:45 that can be in the form of heat stress, which is characterized by headache, dizziness, vomiting,

00:52 and even fainting.

00:53 There are reports over the radio and on TV that children are fainting in the classrooms."

01:02 As temperatures hit extreme highs, both students and teachers are suffering.

01:07 And the government has had to act.

01:09 "When the heat reaches 40 and above, the students don't go to school.

01:16 The teachers don't go to school either, but we have an asynchronous activity for the students."

01:31 But shifting to online classes is not a viable option for every student.

01:35 And each day not spent in a classroom is a day a student could fall behind in their studies.

01:41 "It's like at home, there's internet and it's so hot that you can't focus because

01:49 you get dizzy sometimes."

01:52 Education in the Philippines has already faced setbacks.

01:56 In a global study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the

02:01 country ranked 77th out of 81 in student assessments.

02:07 And the extreme heat has made learning nearly impossible.

02:11 As temperatures rise and schools shut down, it is the students across the country who

02:15 are suffering the most.

02:18 Scott Huang and Harrell Hughes for Taiwan Plus.

02:20 and all the effects you want.