EXCRUCIATING heat across the globe has become a popular topic, prompting the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Mr. António Guterres to declare that the world has entered the era of “global boiling”. As we confront this reality, a few of my colleagues from across the Caribbean and I have been looking at how increased heat should encourage regional governments to think more about making schools climate-resilient.

The first thing that should be mentioned is that children are among those increasingly vulnerable to the harsh effects of climate change. So it should come as no surprise that governments should be encouraged to cater to their needs more.

In Guyana’s case, increased heat this year prompted the Ministry of Education to issue new guidelines to make learners and teachers more comfortable. As such, it was noted that uniform guidelines could be relaxed at schools’ discretion to keep children cooler. Teachers were also encouraged to give more frequent breaks so children could hydrate more often. The guidelines also urged teachers to acquaint themselves with the signs of heat-related illnesses, be it headaches, dizziness, dehydration, or exhaustion so they can easily spot children in need.

But these are just short-term solutions; necessary but not enough. This is why I believe it was good to hear headteachers and their deputies raise concerns and suggestions vis-à-vis the heat in their classrooms with President Dr. Irfaan Ali during an engagement with him. And it is good to hear that certain gap analyses will be done to better understand the infrastructural needs of schools to respond to the heat. Based on the science, we will experience increasingly hot temperatures, so we must start preparing now, lest we end up like the characters in Diana McCaulay’s Daylight Come.

Based on what I’ve seen, the heat has gotten much attention in reporting across the Caribbean, but let’s not focus solely on the heat. Guyana also faces the constant threat of flooding, and I think we know all too well just how disruptive and disastrous flooding can be. After weeks of intense heat, we’re seeing rainfall return now with some degree of intensity; it is, after all, Guyana’s second annual rainy season.

With heavy rainfall, schools, like other places, get inundated quickly. Flooding in Georgetown alone remains a huge concern, with the city’s basin-like topography complicated by limited drainage upkeep and garbage. The expansive drainage network, replete with pumps and kokers, provides much-needed relief, but is sometimes not maintained regularly.

So, even if schools have upper flats that allow children and teachers to escape the school yards’ inundation, streets leading to those schools and the compounds themselves are often inundated. Further, people’s homes get flooded easily, so how can children be expected to easily come to school?

Fortunately, there have been some flooding considerations in education sector plans. For example, the Ministry of Education’s partnership with the World Bank in this sector includes climate resilience as a key consideration, particularly for schools found on Guyana’s low-lying coastline. A 2021 project document noted that the introduction of smart classrooms and tablets is an intervention that could help schools operate more virtually, and allow children and teachers to access more content. Of course, we know all too well the challenges of Internet penetration and connectivity that hindered widespread virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is obvious that we have to start embracing these solutions more. That means that we must see greater investments in making technology more accessible, even in remote communities; something I don’t believe is being neglected but something that can benefit from greater investments.

Before I end, it is worth noting that these challenges aren’t unique to Guyana, just as the need to adapt because of climate change isn’t. One thing is clear: Countries need to seriously focus on how climate change will affect learners across the region just as seriously as we consider how climate change will affect agriculture, health, or any other sector.

If you would like to connect with me to discuss this column or any of my previous work, feel free to email me at vish14ragobeer@gmail.com