Additional Measures to Ensure Students Stay Safe While Engaging in Outdoor Activities in Hot Weather Conditions

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry has any plans to implement additional measures besides the current guidelines for schools on hot weather conditions to ensure that students stay safe while participating in outdoor and strenuous activities in schools or at school-organised events, in light of the high temperatures and UV index hitting extreme levels recently.

The Ministry of Education and schools have measures to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff during times of hot temperatures, for daily lessons and physical activities, both in and out of classrooms. These measures are calibrated and aligned with whole-of-Government advisories.

In the event of a heatwave, additional measures will be implemented. For example, schools will regularly monitor the region-specific Heat Stress Levels and adjust their outdoor activities accordingly. They may reduce the intensity of the activities, reschedule them to cooler parts of the day, incorporate more frequent rest and water breaks or even suspend outdoor physical activities.