Caribbean schools battle extreme heat: Trinidad seek solutions, Guyana updates guidelines

As the Caribbean endures a sweltering heat wave, schools across the region are facing a significant challenge – keeping classrooms cool.

In Trinidad and Tobago, this issue has become a major concern for educators. Martin Lum Kin, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA), highlighted that since schools reopened on September 2, the intense heat has been severely affecting both students and teachers.

Lum Kin has called on the Ministry of Education and the Division of Education to provide cooling equipment for schools at all levels.

In the interim, TTUTA has advised teachers to prioritize student hydration, even if it means allowing water bottles in class and increasing water breaks throughout the day.

In Guyana, the response to the heat has been equally proactive.

On Wednesday, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand reissued detailed guidelines to ensure the safety and comfort of students and staff during the country’s extreme temperatures.

These recommendations are designed to help schools manage the heat more effectively and include:

• Allowing additional short breaks during instructional time to help students cope with the heat.
• Advising students to stay out of the sun and providing them with access to the coolest areas of school buildings and grounds. Adjustments to school timetables are also suggested.
• Encouraging students to wear hats or caps when outside.
• Training teachers to recognize signs of heat-related illnesses, such as headache, dizziness, excessive sweating, and a high body temperature of 38°C or above.
• Modifying outdoor activities to include more frequent rest periods or postponing them during extreme heat.
• Reducing physical exertion during activities and avoiding reliance on only a fan to cool classrooms.
• Preventing the lighting of fires on school premises to avoid adding to the heat.