SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday urged basic education officials against holding outdoor activities during hot weather conditions as a precaution against their students from getting sick due to high temperatures.
Gatchalian, who is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, said principals should see to it that teachers do not hold outdoor activities especially these days when the heat index in the country has been forecast to reach as high as 50 degrees Centigrade.
He said there is an existing Department of Education order which mandates teachers and principals to put the safety of their students first before conducting any activity, including holding earthquake drills and sports activities.
Gatchalian said this is especially true to schools without covered courts just like in most provinces and remote areas.
“Tingnan nila ang weather forecast at kung mataas ang temperature ay huwag sila magsagawa ng outdoor activity. Kung ano ang nakabubuti sa safety ng bata ay yun ang gawin nila. Dapat ipaalala sa mga guro at punong guro na huwag silang gagawa ng mga bagay na makakasama sa kalusugan ng bata (They should look at the weather forecast and if it shows that there will be a high temperature, they should not hold outdoor activities.
They should consider what’s best for their students’ safety and they must do it. Teachers and principals should be reminded that they must not do anything that will be bad for their students’ health),” Gatchalian told radio dzBB.
He said principals can suspend classes not only during rainy days or typhoons, but also during extreme hot weather conditions.
He said the scorching heat brought about by the dry season is the reason why he is reiterating that opening of classes should revert to June.
Opening of classes have been moved to August, making the break to June and July, because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and due to the rainy season, which normally falls during the months of June and July.
“Kaya ko minumungkahi na ibalik sa dating school days. Ang summer break ay sa April at May. At dahil tag-init ay may may flexibility sila na mag-stay sa bahay o kaya ay pumunta sa ibang lugar. Pero ang nakikita ko ay dapt maging alisto ang guro at mga punong guro dahil kakaiba ang klima ngayon. Last week lang, habang nasa summer season pa tayo, ay may bagyo. Malaki ang papel ng punong guro na gumawa ng tamang desisyon kaya dapt maging alerto sila
(The reason why I am recommending that we revert to the old school days calendar. That the summer break be during April and May. And because it is summer time, students will have the flexibility to either stay at home or go somewhere else. But teachers and principals should be aware because our climate is different now. Last week, while we are still in the middle of summer, there was a typhoon. So, principals have a big role of making the right decision),” he added.
When asked if it is okay if students just be made to attend their classes online due to the very hot weather conditions, Gatchalian said it will compromise again the students’ learning since almost 80 percent of learners do not have access to the internet, and if they do, most of them do not have gadgets.
“The best pa rin ang face-to-face classes (Face-to-face classes are still the best),” he said.
While the school calendar has yet to be changed, Gatchalian said schools can use their maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) budgets to purchase additional electric fans.
He said another source of budget that can be used by schools to buy electric fans or other colling equipment through the “pandemic response” funds which are lodged in the DepEd budget.
