Is the Heatwave Interrupting Classes?  

Although the rainy season has begun, Belize has yet to experience a downpour that would offer a reprieve from the prolonged heatwave the country has been suffering from. This heatwave has not only exacerbated the wildfires running rampant in densely forested areas but raised health concerns regarding heat exhaustion and air pollution from the smoke. Recently, Minister of Education Francis Fonseca was asked whether any assistance is being provided for students and teachers in these areas and whether classes would be shortened as a result.

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education

“Yeah lots of things to help them, but not shortened classes. We need our students in school. But what we’ve done is, we’ve worked with the Ministry of Health to make sure that we put out advisories for the schools, that we make sure that we’re sharing proper advice with the principals and teachers and managers so that they have guidance on how they can help to help their students to deal with the excessive heat. You’re absolutely right. We’re dealing with excessive heat across the country, obviously, it’s created many problems for us in terms of the areas where we’ve had fires in Toledo. In Toledo, we’ve had to close schools on a number of days because of the smoke and fires. So in that case, we do close schools. Yeah, it’s an important issue, but we continue to work with our managers and with the Ministry of Health to make sure that we’re giving proper advice to our schools.”