Officials in the Ministry of Education are voicing concerns over the recent heat
waves that have been affecting the nation and how this will impact teachers and
students in classrooms with the reopening of school.
Director of Education, Clare Browne, has revealed that both he and Education
Minister, Daryll Matthew, have already discussed the matter with the Board of
Education to determine ways in which the matter can be addressed.
Director Browne said the issue of excessive heat is one of the challenges that pop
up at the start of the new school year.
“One of the things that we feel will be a challenge is the rising heat. We are
looking at it. Already, Minister Matthew and I have been having conversations
with the chairman of the Board of Education and we are looking at ways that they
might assist us,” he stated.
According to the director, the ministry is doing everything it can to look at ways to
alleviate the excessive heat that has been a regular feature of the weather system
over the past several weeks.
“It’s not that we can get up and put a cooling system in every classroom, in every
school all at once. But, if we can do some little thing in the major areas, at least
that may bring some relief,” he remarked.
Director Browne is also appealing to members of the business community to assist
the ministry by adopting a school. “I want to invite our corporate community and
others such as the service clubs, that have always helped, to make a special effort
to come to the ministry’s aid at this time of need to adopt a school and make a
donation. Even private individuals can come forward and assist us,” he urged.
According to the director, climate change ‘is a real thing’ and we know that it will
continue to affect our classrooms.
