With temperatures soaring during Singapore’s hottest months of May and June, 43-year-old Clement Tan is concerned about how the heat is affecting his children in school.
“Their school is in an older building and I’ve been there for meet-the-parents sessions. The fans do not provide ventilation throughout the whole classroom and it can be really uncomfortable at certain parts of the classroom,” Mr Tan, a litigation lawyer, said. He has three children aged 10, seven and five.
He has equipped his two older children, who study at Fairfield Methodist School (Primary), with handheld fans to give them some reprieve from the weather. The school has also allowed students to wear their physical education (PE) attire throughout the day, which has helped keep them cool and complaint-free.
However, since Mr Tan’s children have eczema – a condition that causes the skin to become dry, itchy and bumpy and is exacerbated by heat – rising temperatures have caused flare-ups.
Several parents told CNA TODAY they were worried about how the stifling heat in school, during the commute as well as at home is affecting their children’s learning abilities.
These parents’ concerns are not unfounded. Some education and environmental experts said extreme heat conditions could affect students, with several studies showing that they scored lower grades and were unable to focus as the temperature rises.