Due to the continuing heat, the school schedule in Curaçao has been reduced for the rest of the month. This was announced by the island’s Education Minister, Sithiri van Heidoren, on Monday.
Curaçao has experienced periods of sustained heat since June, with temperatures reaching 34 degrees and above, which is quite warm. Classrooms have become so hot that it is almost impossible for teachers to teach.
Last Wednesday, a shortened three-day timetable was introduced after the Met Office declared a code yellow. This means that primary school students can go home at 12 noon instead of 12.30 pm. Most elementary schools start at 7:30 a.m.
In secondary and secondary education, students can go home at 12.30pm. In consultation with the Met Office, it will be considered whether it is wise to return to the normal schedule in October.
The Minister also provided one million Antillean guilders (about half a million euros) to purchase air conditioners and fans. Many schools do not have air conditioning.
Heat doesn’t just affect education. Since this week, garbage collectors have started collecting trash at 6 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. With Code Yellow, it is not recommended to work in full sunlight, such as road or construction work.
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