Extreme heat forces school closures across Asia, affecting millions of students

According to the United Nations, an estimated 243 million children in the Asia-Pacific region have been “exposed to hotter and longer heatwaves,” putting them at risk of a “multitude of heat-related illnesses, and even death.”

“Young children are at greatest risk of heat-related mortality and illnesses, including chronic respiratory conditions, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases,” UNICEF said in a statement last month.

But repeated school closures could compound the setbacks students already experienced during the pandemic, which forced classes online for months or even years in some parts of Asia. Authorities in Bangladesh, where students are preparing for exams, have said they will open schools on the weekend if necessary.

Some teachers, like Nasrin Akter, are wasting no time and moving their classes back online.

“We call them Corona kids. Most of them are used to online classes for most of their education,” said Akter, who teaches English to first graders in Dhaka.

But for students that young, she said, it is equally important for them to spend time face to face with their teachers and peers.

“No matter what we do in online classes, they’re missing out on the part where we can talk to them personally,” she said.