Hell or high water: Filipino schools lashed by climate extremes

Schools were closed for several days as temperatures soared to over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in April and May. Now they are due to reopen after the holidays in July, rather than August, as authorities rework the education calendar to adapt to extreme weather.

The immediate threat comes from storms as typhoon season starts in July. In the past, many schools would be forced to suspend lessons and send pupils home as classrooms were flooded. Schools were also often used as temporary evacuation centres.

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According to the World Bank, around 78% of public schools and 96% of students in the Philippines are exposed to multiple hazards. Between 2021 and 2023, around 4,000 schools were damaged due to various disasters, resulting in the disruption of learning for two million children.

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For Save the Children, the message is clear: vulnerable countries need more support to shore up critical services, like schools, in a hotter, wetter world. And the necessary changes do not just affect bricks and mortar.