- Says guidelines sufficient
The Education Ministry has stated that no need for the cancellation or postponement of sport meets has been identified following the Department of Meteorology issuing ‘caution’ level heat advisories for several districts in the country, adding that the ministry is closely observing the situation.
It is said that in this situation, if the country is issued any health precautions overall, the Ministry would be following those guidelines and will be taking measures particular to school children in line with that.
Speaking to The Daily Morning on Wednesday (25), Deputy Education Minister Dr. Madhura Seneviratne said that the Ministry had identified the situation earlier and had issued a set of guidelines for students to follow during the ongoing heatwave.
“We have included the guidelines to be followed during the sport meet period too. We have identified these guidelines as adequate for now, and if the situation continues, the Health Ministry will be issuing the necessary precautions for all, and going along with those mandates, we will be ensuring to issue precautions for schools as well,” he said.
He further said that it is mainly situations such as dehydration that are commonly reported on days of outdoor sports, and the guidelines that are being issued by the Health Ministry directly address these issues; hence, there is no need to cancel or postpone the sport meet events that are happening in schools.
The public has been warned by the Department of Meteorology that the heat index, the temperature felt on the human body, is likely to increase up to the ‘caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North Central and North Western Provinces, and in the Monaragala, Mannar and Vavuniya Districts.
On Tuesday (24), Puttalam District reported a heat of 39 degrees Celsius, Anuradhapura 38, Mullaitivu 38, and most Districts other than Nuwara Eliya, which reported 24, have reported temperatures of over 33 degrees.
Meanwhile, medical experts have also warned to limit going out and engaging in outdoor sports, and to be extra careful about the hydration of children.
The international community regarding global climate, including the World Meteorological Organisation, has warned that the earth’s climate is further out of balance than at any time in recorded history.