Forum urges to revise school hours amid heatwave

Bangladesh Primary Education Discrimination Elimination Forum has urged the government to revise running school hours and declare classes closed by noon amid the ongoing heatwave, warning that more than one crore primary school children are at risks under the current schedule of schooling hours.

The demand was placed through a memorandum submitted on Sunday to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, with copies also sent to State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj, ministry secretary Abu Taher Md Masud Rana and Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education Shahina Ferdousi.

According to a press release issued by the forum's member secretary Shamsuddin Babul, the organisation called for an immediate adjustment of class schedules, arguing that students attending schools in two shifts from 9am to 4pm are being exposed to excessive heat while travelling to and from school and during classroom hours.

The forum proposed that pre primary and students of classes one and two begin classes at 7:30am and finish by 9:30am, while students of classes three to five complete lessons by 12 noon. It argued that such an arrangement would reduce heat exposure and mitigate risks to children's physical and mental wellbeing.

In the memorandum, the forum said ongoing teaching activities in government primary schools are being disrupted by severe heat, while overcrowded classrooms and power outages are worsening conditions for students. It also said prolonged load shedding in summer often leaves classrooms without ventilation, causing discomfort and undermining effective learning.

The organisation further argued that children, particularly in lower grades, are returning home during peak heat conditions, while students in upper primary classes are forced to remain in school until late afternoon despite extreme temperatures. It said the situation warrants urgent administrative intervention.

The forum also called for restoration of Saturday holidays, contending that keeping primary schools open on Saturdays in the name of addressing learning deficits is discriminatory and ineffective, particularly during the heat wave. It claimed student attendance on Saturdays remains negligible and does not serve the intended objective.

Leaders of the organisation, including convener Md Siddiqur Rahman, member secretary Shamsuddin Babul, joint member secretary Subal Chandra Pal and organising secretary Md Abdul Quader, were present during submission of the memorandum.

The forum urged the government to consider the proposed measures on priority, saying immediate action is necessary to protect students from the adverse impact of the heat wave.