The length and intensity of heatwaves are increasing due to climate change, leading to debates over whether students should attend hot classrooms or stay home.

This issue disproportionately affects developing countries, where nearly a third of sub-Saharan Africa's children are already out of school compared to just 3% in North America.

Experts warn that heat could widen the learning gap between developing nations in the tropics and developed countries, as well as between rich and poor districts in wealthy countries.

Overheated schools could make children ill, leading to closures in countries like South Sudan, the Philippines, and India, affecting millions of students.

Bangladesh has struggled with the decision to open or close schools for 33 million students due to dangerous temperatures.

Bangladeshi schools often lack adequate ventilation and insulation, making them uncomfortable during hot weather.

This can negatively impact students' learning as high temperatures can slow down cognitive functions, reducing the ability to retain and process information.

A study on US high schoolers found that a warmer school year by 0.55C (1F) resulted in a 1 percent decrease in learning, but this impact was minimized in schools with air conditioning.

Approximately 40-60% of US schools have partial air conditioning, with schools lacking it often located in poorer districts.

Research shows that extreme heat can negatively impact students' learning, as found in various studies including one by Goodman and his colleagues examining standardized test data from other countries.

Additionally, a 2019 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that exposure to higher-than-average temperatures before birth and in early life can lead to fewer years of schooling later on.

As the world warms, countries with hot climates are expected to be disproportionately affected.

Climate change is expected to widen the education gap between hot and cool countries, with developing countries like Jordan projected to experience more extreme heat days.

In response, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced plans to build 30 heat-resilient schools in Jordan by 2026, investing $8.17 million to use passive cooling systems and air conditioning.

In the US, schools are now closing for an average of six to seven days each year due to heat, compared to three to four days a decade ago.

Schools in Bangladesh were closed for approximately 6-7 days last year due to weather-related reasons.

However, Save the Children's Sengupta has reported that schools might be closed for up to 3-4 weeks this year during the hot month of May.