By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
Two of the three Philippines schools in Qatar will continue implementing the same schedule for the opening of classes despite the high temperature, which may pose health risks to young students.
The Philippine School of Doha (PSD) and the Philippine International School-Qatar (PISQ) have been following the June opening back home. This year, the two schools opened their classes on June 16 and 23 respectively but some parents are concerned about their children’s safety.
“We hope it will not harm them but 50 degrees may be too hot and bad for all of us,” said one parent.
But PISQ principal Luisa Mendoza has allayed fears of possible health risks from the hot weather saying that they have safety measures for all including teachers and staff. He also told Gulf Times that the Supreme Education Council (SEC) had allowed them to operate during summer.
To protect the students from extreme heat, the principal noted that they temporarily stopped outdoor activities during the hot season. Physical Education classes are being held in the morning while some schedules are being done in big air-conditioned rooms and multi-purpose halls in the afternoon.
They also allow school service and private vehicles to enter the campus to pick the students.
“We want everyone to be safe from the extreme heat and we make sure our transports stay inside the school campus,” said Mendoza.
Temperature has started rising and sources said it reached 47 degrees Celsius between 11:30am to 2pm yesterday.
During Ramadan, both schools also implement a shortened period for their pre-school, elementary and high school classes where teachers dismiss students two to three hours early.
PSD principal Alexander Acosta has also assured parents that the school takes good care of their children well. He said students often stay indoors until parents arrive and pick them up after dismissal.
Asked why they follow the Philippines schedule, she disclosed that more than 50 percent of their graduates return to their country in March and April to enroll in college. Enrollment in most universities in the country runs from April to May.
“The first semester starts also in June and our graduates want to enroll immediately. They don’t want to waste time,” she said.
Earlier reports revealed that pursuing a college education in Qatar is costly due to high tuition fees and other expenses. It is learnt that the tuition ranges from QR30,000 to QR40,000 per semester, excluding books and uniforms.
It has become a dilemma for many expatriate workers including other nationalities to send their children back home.
Another Philippines school, the Asian Integrated School, follows the September opening like other expatriate and community educational institutions in Qatar.