Having raised the problem with President Irfaan Ali at a meeting on October 2nd ,teachers are continuing to press for solutions to hot classrooms.
Teachers have been raising their voices, expressing their discomfort and concern about the extreme heat in classrooms. Many are calling for urgent solutions to alleviate the stifling conditions that hinder the learning process and affect the overall well-being of both students and staff.
According to several teachers of recently built schools, the heat in classrooms has reached unbearable levels. “It’s terrible. The classrooms feel like ovens, and it’s almost impossible to concentrate or teach effectively in such conditions,” said a secondary school teacher of St. Rose’s High who requested to remain anonymous. “The heat is not only physically exhausting but also mentally draining for both teachers and students.”
According to a representative of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, lack of proper infrastructure and cooling systems in many schools makes the problem worse. Inadequate ventilation, structural faults, and limited access to fans are common issues that hinder the ability of schools to provide a comfortable learning environment.
“Our teachers have been facing these challenges for far too long. The heat in classrooms is not only making it difficult to teach, but it’s also affecting the health and well-being of our educators and students”, the representative said.
The Ministry of Education and the government were urged to prioritise the issue and allocate resources to create a safer and more conducive learning environment.
Parents are also concerned about their children’s well-being during this period. The combination of excessive heat and insufficient cooling measures can lead to health issues such as dehydration, heatstroke, and fatigue. Many parents are urging the government to take immediate action to address these concerns.
Stabroek News contacted the Ministry of Education, which is yet to give an update on plans to implement measures to protect students and staff from the extreme temperatures following the October 2nd meeting.
In the meantime, some schools related yesterday that they have implemented temporary measures, such as changing class schedules to minimise the time spent in hot classrooms, providing additional breaks for students, and encouraging the use of fans and other cooling devices.
On September 7, Stabroek News received a letter from a parent regarding the extreme heat in classrooms. The parent noted their children drenched in perspiration upon picking them up from school and enquired as to how they felt in the classrooms, only to be told about the dangerous heat conditions they face at school.
“I enquired how she was feeling and she said ‘Dad, the place is very hot and our classroom is extremely hot and it does not have any fans. I am barely able to focus in class.’ The following day my son complained of a headache from the heat. He echoed a similar complaint as his sister regarding the ventilation of his classroom. I am absolutely certain that many other children are experiencing similar difficulties.”
This newspaper had reached out to the Ministry of Education regarding this matter since early September, but no response was received.
Teachers have constantly stressed the need for proper ventilation and more windows in classrooms since Guyana’s tropical climate often results in classrooms becoming uncomfortably hot, especially during the scorching months of the dry season. The problem has been compounded by the mainly concrete structures that are going up.
