House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro pushed for the passage of a bill mandating the return of the June-March school calendar to address extreme heat conditions in public schools.
Castro, author of House Bill 8550 that seeks to bring back the old school calendar, expressed grave concern over uncomfortable in-person classroom situations in public schools amid the extreme heat.
“What we are witnessing is the direct consequence of decades of government neglect of our public school infrastructure,” she said.
“Our classrooms have become virtual ovens, with temperatures reaching dangerous levels that no child should have to endure while trying to learn,” Castro added.
The lawmakers emphasized that the extreme heat has highlighted the long-standing issues plaguing the education sector, including severe classroom shortages, inadequate ventilation, and lack of health facilities.
“The temporary suspension of classes is merely a reactive measure that fails to address the root cause,” the ACT Teachers representative said.
“We need immediate action to address the 250,000 classroom shortage, provide proper ventilation systems, and ensure that every school has functioning clinics with trained health personnel,” Castro said.
Castro seeks return of June-March school calendar amid extreme heat
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