DistantNews
Support us
School holidays extended by a week in Tarija due to environmental pollution
🇧🇴 Bolivia /Environment & Climate

School holidays extended by a week in Tarija due to environmental pollution

From El Deber · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • School holidays in Cercado municipality, Tarija, have been extended by one week due to severe air pollution.
  • The pollution is caused by ongoing forest fires in nearby communities.
  • Education authorities are prioritizing student health, with investigations underway for those responsible for the fires.

School holidays in the Cercado municipality of Tarija have been extended by one week, with students set to return to classes on July 27. The decision was made by the District Education Directorate at the request of the Parents and Mothers Association, prompted by severe air pollution from recent forest fires in surrounding communities.

We seek to protect the health of primary and secondary students.

— Sergio GallardoDistrict Education Director explaining the reason for extending school holidays.

The Service Department of Health (Sedes) also issued recommendations that contributed to the decision. District Education Director Sergio Gallardo confirmed the extension, stating the primary goal is to safeguard the health of primary and secondary students. The Directorate communicated the decision via an official statement to inform parents and students.

It is only in the Cercado municipality, responding to the request of the Parents and Mothers Association and the recommendations of SEDES.

— Sergio GallardoClarifying the scope of the holiday extension.

Gallardo clarified that the holiday extension is permitted by regulations, allowing District Directorates to decide on pedagogical breaks in coordination with the Departmental Education Directorate. The District Directorate of Méndez province may also implement a similar extension, as many forest fires originated in the San Lorenzo municipality due to human activity.

Those found responsible will not go unpunished.

— Ernesto JustinianoMinister of Defense's warning regarding the forest fires.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano warned that those found responsible for the fires will not escape punishment. The Bolivian National Police have launched investigations to identify the perpetrators of forest fires in Quirusillas, Erquiz Ceibal, and Tucumillas. As volunteer firefighters worked to extinguish existing blazes, another fire was reported in the Pinos Sud area of Cercado municipality. Minister Justiniano urged the public to avoid burning grasslands, as these fires are difficult to control due to strong winds in the Central Valley of Tarija.

Avoid burning grasslands because it is causing fires in the Central Valley of Tarija that are difficult to control due to strong winds.

— Ernesto JustinianoMinister of Defense's plea to the public.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Deber in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog