“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.

My home and the homes of many others.
My child’s classroom is probably bigger than my entire flat.

Maybe the kids who live in big air conned houses should have the option to take the day off without being punished and that will make it less crowded?

That's during a PE lesson, not instead of other learning.

DS has missed enough learning over the years thanks to covid and strikes. And he can hardly whip out a water pistol during his 5 hour exam today can he?

Not the case for most people I know and the schools I visit through work

What a shame their school is like that. That’s a whole other issue. Nothing to do with heat.

So you're not only extrapolating your flat to 'most people' but also your child's classroom to most classrooms.

Pretty sure my classroom would rival your flat.

My bedroom last night was the same temperature as my classroom had been that morning before heating up, and even then it was more bearable because it didn't have 30 sticky sweaty kids in it and no one was making me do anything.

Meaning that my kids' schools and the ones I visit are hotter than any house I've been to.

Don’t be ridiculous. Put 30 humans into a small room and see how rapidly the heat rises.
No insulation, no blinds, no air con….

Where is the wet bulb temp climbing to 30?

5 hour school exam? What on earth is that?

It's not schools that have forgotten, it's the government. Our timetables are literally jam packed. The curriculum is overflowing. 8 year olds must learn about the progressive tense. We'd love to bring the fun back but we're not allowed.

I doubt it would tbh, we’re high up (heat rises) and bedrooms are tiny because they are actually split into two rooms so half the size they should be.

Anyway I think families should have the option to not go in without being punished, chances are most would stay home and your class room would have ten kids instead of 30

Aren’t you meant to be teaching rather than arguing with randoms on your phone?

However many times I say I’m part time, people keep wheeling this out like a gotcha.

Building the next atom bomb?

It’s not a “gotcha” it’s an observation

Well, now you know.

But you’re about the millionth person to try it.

You’re coming across as very argumentative. The heat will be over by the weekend. Lighten up.

The fact that so many of us have heard tales of the summer of 1976 makes me think that they weren't quite such a undramatic, resilient bunch in those days as some are suggesting.

….and then it’ll get hot again and kids will be unable to learn again and again and again and at some point the penny will drop that addressing the issues in schools rather than ignoring them might actually be a good idea.

Well why don’t the lefty unions lobby the Labour government to make changes. Would be more helpful than ranting on MN.

She's not ranting. Many schools are untenable in this heat. I work at an expensive indy, and our main building has a translucent roof and huge glass walls. It's torture by midday.

Haven’t read the whole thread

There are two different issues here

1. longer term, should we as a country aim to fit out our schools to cope with hot weather better.

Yes, obviously, schools need better heat solutions- window shading, roof insulation, air con. Same as for many UK buildings. All takes time and money of course.

2. short term, should schools be shut this week if it will be too hot for kids to learn anything

no. If it’s so hot as to be actually unsafe, for example a S facing classroom with no ac hitting 35+, then those hotter rooms should be shut and that might mean closure. But just because kids will be a bit dopey and not retain information- nope. They won’t learn at home either and much as schools deny it, schools do also perform a childcare and social function.

Lobby parliament.

Precisely

I think the lefty unions are lobbying the government. But not sure what that’s got to do with me posting on MN. Nor why it would need to be ‘lefty unions’ lobbying the government - surely parents, even right wing ones, should want their kids to actually be able to learn while they’re in school?