Theguardian iconTheguardianJun 22, 2026 ~1 min source read

How India’s heatwaves are shutting schools – and pushing women out of the workforce

Forced to stay home or switch jobs, working mothers are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis as classes go online for weeks or months at a time Outside, the temperature has passed 41C (105.8F). Her daughter's school closed in May and Katyal is not clear when it will reopen.

How India’s heatwaves are shutting schools – and pushing women out of the workforce

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Forced to stay home or switch jobs, working mothers are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis as classes go online for weeks or months at a time Outside, the temperature has passed 41C (105.8F).

Her daughter's school closed in May and Katyal is not clear when it will reopen.

There is no official record of closures in past years but the Guardian has spoken to school officials who say the number of days schools are shut for because of the heat has risen sharply.

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Forced to stay home or switch jobs, working mothers are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis as classes go online for weeks or months at a time Outside, the temperature has passed 41C (105.8F). Her daughter's school closed in May and Katyal is not clear when it will reopen. There is no official record of closures in past years but the Guardian has spoken to school officials who say the number of days schools are shut for because of the heat has risen sharply.

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  • The impact on families, especially on working women, has been huge.

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