KUWAIT: The back-to-school season in Kuwait has arrived earlier than usual this year, with many Indian schools starting about a week ahead of last year’s schedule. As August brings some of the year’s highest temperatures and rising humidity, Kuwait Times explored how this early return is affecting students, parents and teachers.

Reflecting on the early school comeback, Abdullah Sabih, a 10th grader at an Indian school in Kuwait, expressed his concerns: “I’m worried that I’ll be so exhausted by the time I get home that I won’t have any energy left for my homework, assignments and studies.” Abdullah, who leaves for school at around 6:45 am and finishes his day by 1:30 pm — during the peak heat — added that the crowded school bus ride home only adds to his discomfort.

While the school day lasts about six hours, with most of the time spent in classrooms, Sabih noted “that doesn’t mean we won’t feel the heat.” From past experience, he has observed that the weather often disrupts the classroom air conditioning, causing it to fluctuate or sometimes stop working entirely, especially with 30 to 40 students packed into one room. “Anyway, I have my exams starting in a month, so I have to get used to it,” he added.

Parent Rizwan Sheikh also expressed concerns about reopening schools during the peak of summer, particularly regarding children’s health in humid conditions. “The school air conditioning isn’t sufficient to handle the humidity,” he said. “Also, exams are scheduled just two weeks after the vacation, as teachers rush to complete the curriculum.”

Sheikh emphasized the need for regular water breaks, toilet breaks and recess, and noted that some schools impose heavy syllabi on students, placing immense pressure on older students, which is exacerbated by the weather. Another parent proposed that schools should ideally reopen in mid-September. Many parents also complained about the heavy school bags their children have to carry to school daily.

Grace Thomas, a teacher at an Indian school in Kuwait, echoed these concerns, urging management of schools to reconsider their decisions amid the extreme heat. “The risk of exposing children to such intense heat is high. Why not delay the start by two more weeks?” she questioned. Thomas, deeply concerned about the well-being of students and parents, argued: “As a teacher, I firmly believe that schools should postpone reopening until September after the summer holidays. It will be extremely challenging for parents to send their children to school in this sweltering heat.”

On the other hand, Laxmi Narayan, a social studies teacher at an Indian school in Salmiya, is excited about the new semester starting early, despite the heat. “The heat is challenging, but it’s manageable since we only started a week earlier, and we have curricula to cover,” she said.

While many private schools have already reopened, others are set to begin the new semester in late August or early September. The ministry of education has announced that public school students will return to classrooms on Sept 16 and 17, marking the official start of the new public school year.