危険な暑さで１万校以上が遠隔授業に　フィリピン

【マニラＡＦＰ＝時事】フィリピン教育省は５日、国内の一部地域で危険な暑さに達したため、１万校以上の学校が遠隔授業に踏み切ったと明らかにした。（写真は、フィリピン・マニラで下校する児童に付き添う保護者）
　フィリピンは通常、３～５月に最も暑く、乾燥する時期になるが、今年はエルニーニョ現象でさらに気温が上昇。多くの学校にはエアコンがなく、子どもたちは換気の悪い密集した教室で汗だくになっている。
　全国４万７０００以上の学校を統括する教育省は、「猛暑を含む災害時には」遠隔授業に切り替える権限を学校長に与えている。
　５日の公式発表によると、前日の４７６９校に続き、５２８８校が遠隔授業を行い、３６０万人以上の児童・生徒に影響が出た。一部の学校は、最も暑い時間帯を避けて短縮授業を行った。
　予報によると、５日は複数地域で湿度も考慮した体感温度を示す暑さ指数が４２～４３度の「危険」レベルに達した。マニラの暑さ指数は４０度で、熱けいれんや倦怠（けんたい）感の恐れもある「厳重注意」レベルとされた。マニラの実際の最高気温は３５．５度だった。
　気象予報士のロリー・デラ・クルス氏はＡＦＰに対し、実際の気温はこの時期としては「平年並み」だと指摘。例年５月前半が最も暑い時期だと説明し、「まだ初夏なので、これからさらに暑くなるだろう」と述べた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/04/08-16:55）

Thousands of schools in the Philippines suspended in-person classes Friday, the education department said, as parts of the tropical country endured dangerously high temperatures.
The months of March, April and May are typically the hottest and driest in the archipelago nation, but conditions this year have been exacerbated by the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Many schools have no air-conditioning, leaving students to swelter in crowded, poorly ventilated classrooms.
Even my smartest student is not in the mood to answer questions because it's very hot, said Mayette Paulino, who teaches a grade two class of around 27 children near Manila.
She said students feel tired and seem sleepy as the heat intensified in the afternoon.
The Department of Education, which oversees more than 47,000 schools nationwide, has issued an advisory giving school heads the power to decide when to switch to remote learning in cases of extreme heat and other calamities.
Official figures for Friday showed 5,288 schools had suspended in-person classes, affecting more than 3.6 million students, after 4,769 schools on Thursday.
Nearly 300 schools in Manila alone had remote learning on Friday, while the central regions of the main island of Luzon were the hardest hit, with more than 1,600 schools suspending in-person classes.
Some schools have reduced class hours to avoid teaching during the hottest times of the day.
- 'Couldn't take it' -
Bheapril Balbin, 37, whose two children attend a primary school near Manila, supported the decision for students to stay home during the hot weather.
The heat is too much, my children couldn't take it, Balbin told AFP.
Some of their classmates got sick, they had a headache because of the extreme heat. My youngest has an asthma, extreme heat is bad for him.
The heat index was expected to reach the danger level of 42 or 43 degrees Celsius (107.6-109.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in several areas of the country on Friday, the state weather forecaster said.
In Manila, the heat index was forecast to hit the extreme caution level of up to 40C (104F), when heat cramps and exhaustion are possible.
The country's heat index measures what a temperature feels like, taking into account humidity.
Friday's actual maximum temperature in Manila was 35.5C (95.9F).
The heat will get worse because we're not yet at the peak of the summer season, Lorie Dela Cruz of the state weather forecaster told AFP, noting that the first half of May was usually the hottest period.
She said the actual temperature was within the normal range for this time of year.
Save the Children Philippines chief Alberto Muyot said on Wednesday the extreme heat meant children are simply unable to concentrate in the classroom and their health is also at risk.