“They’ll survive” - children in schools deserve to actually learn

[noblegiraffe]

There have been so many responses to threads about the heat in schools of ‘we survived in 76, kids will be fine’.

It wasn’t even the hottest day yesterday and by mid-morning, very little learning was going on. Kids couldn’t concentrate, even A-level students were making silly mistakes and very, very little work was completed Everyone was extremely uncomfortable and it was more a test of endurance than a place of learning. My classroom was 28 degrees at 8:15am and only got hotter as the day progressed, despite me doing all the right stuff around blinds, windows, doors. The kids were in PE kits and had plenty of water, per government recommendations, but they were not well.

But they survived - so that’s all ok? That’s the best we can expect from schools? No learning and a lot of discomfort/actively feeling ill? And now schools are even having to close.

Bearing in mind that it was only just over 30 yesterday, and given the increasing global temperature, how many more hours of learning will be lost before ‘they survived’ isn’t accepted as the expectation for our kids in schools in the summer and something is actually done about it?

Whether that’s fitting air conditioning (hah), changing the timings of the school day to start earlier and finish earlier when the temperature rises, or changing the school year so the kids break up earlier and go back earlier, something should happen. The country cannot afford to lose all these learning hours and parents and children shouldn’t have to put up with this inadequacy in provision.

Water fights and paddling pools for 1500 pupils?

Its the 2026 version of just get gazebos/Tents during covid.

And ice lollies.

I'm wondering how you'd transport 1500 ice lollies from Asda to school without them becoming goo.

My son attends special school. They actually have waterfights every Friday afternoon!! Its fab!

Some schools will be better equipped than others, some will be more flexible. It is insane to assume that pupils will learn much if indoor temperatures are too high. There is a mindset by some that every day at school is equal when it’s simply not the case. The same is said for illness, when in reality, a day or two off would do the ill pupil or teacher much more good (and the rest of the class and their families), than the pretence that productivity is the same as when well.

I don't understand this constant need to teacher bash. It's not about teachers. I work in a school. Our teachers were fine (boiling hot and finding it hard going as you'd expect, but fine). The children on the other hand were not fine. I'm not worried about staff, I'm worried about the children in our care.

FYI - its not teachers that make the decision to close a school - not sure why it always comes down to 'moaning teachers' when we just do what we're told. It is down to the headteacher who follows guidance from the MAT (if part of an academy) and also board of governors.

Because on MN teacher bashing seems to be the default position

And actually - a lot of teachers will be using the 'time off' to complete some of the mountain of admin that needs doing this time of year. Not that most parents have any idea about that as they think we should be frolicking about in the sun with their cherubs.

At the end of the day I have to go to work so my kids may as well be hot at school as hot at home.

I've always taught in state schools so don't know for certain about private schools but guessing they have air-con throughout? Unlike us poor people. State schools don't have glue sticks 😀

My DD’s independent school doesn’t have air con. It’s a really old building so don’t know if they’d be able to put it in. Apparently the drama studio (a newish building) has air con but that’s it.

And the thing is, it's only being talked about now that schools are closing.

Why do people give such little shit about the conditions in schools? Kids can't learn effectively but we'll only start worrying when kids are actively being made ill.

Don't fancy filling paddling pools for 1200 teens and then policing the mayhem. That's a parent job.

Alright calm down. My dd had the worst time at secondary. Bullying, death threats, violence, the lot, but the two things she actually enjoyed were the ski trips, and the water fights on the field at lunch time on hot days (with water bottles).

Ice lollies live perfectly well in ice cream vans. I’m sure one would pop round if they thought they would make a few quid out of it. But the point is, the SLT could use this as a massive morale boost for the pupils - a day of fun, and making the best of it. Instead of keep cracking the whip and then getting annoyed about the lack of ‘learning’.

Student voice mate. Why not ask the kids for ideas, and how they might resource and organise it. You might get some inspiration to get over this miserable defeatism.

Or open up the libraries and hairdressers can teach the children (one lunatic suggestion from a Mumsnet parent during the covid lockdown).

They would suggest going home at lunch , which is exactly what we're doing (except for the teachers, who'll be in school until the usual time, building resilience).

I saw this just now on FB. A red weather warning but it’s ok, you can carry your blazer
who in the real world is carrying a blazer or jacket round at the minute?!

I only a few days. Poor kids don’t need to be chained to their desks in this heat.

Our village primary has a swimming pool that was built in the 1970s. They will be in there tomorrow, lucky things!

Absolutely no way would I be willing to supervise hundreds of teenagers in pools. In a teacher, not a lifeguard or youth worker. If the kids don’t need to be learning then they may as well be at home.

That said, it would obviously better to have a proper long term solution. Air con is highly unlikely but shifting the school holidays is certainly possible.

Yes I don’t understand the rigidity about uniforms in this weather. Lots of schools are allowing PE kit, but others are insisting on normal uniform without tie and blazers. Does anyone understand the rationale - why wouldn’t you want kids to be more comfortable in such exceptionally hot conditions?

The school with that logo and motto isn't in the red weather warning area.

Kid are only required to be in school 190 days. How many days of learning do you think it is acceptable to lose to heat each year? 5? 10?

I was called to a pupil who had fainted today. The room was like a greenhouse.
As she fainted she whacked her head on the corner of the desk and sustained a deep laceration.
Then other pupils started feeling faint. We needed to get them out of the room, but no where to go. I suggested they sit on the floor and drink water.
Then I started to get hot and I mean really hot.
I have never fainted, but thought ‘crap, what if I go down as well?’
luckily the student who fainted came round and we were able to get her out in a wheel chair.
i went back to medical and there were loads of kids in there. Then more arrived, but I needed to get the fainter sorted and off to MIU.
At this moment a child began to have a seizure.
Another student fainted…..
This was the reality of today.