To think schools should shut in 30' heat

[dragonflyglaze]

I'm a TA in an Infant School in the South East, we break up next Thurs. This week has been tough, the little ones can't cope in the heat and as much as we try and keep them indoors, hydrated etc some of them are just not coping. Never mind the staff who are doing their best to support the children whilst slowly melting.
Next week we are forecast to hit 30' and there's an extreme weather warning. We have to close if its too cold e.g. heating not working, or too windy. I can't understand why there's no rule for extreme heat.

I was thinking this earlier, my dd3 was completely wiped out after school. We are also in the south east and it’s so bloody hot. I’ll keep mine off school if I think it’ll be too much for them.

Prepare for a pasting OP...

Why schools? Why not shut the country down?

30 is not extreme heat. Does the school have outside space? Ask the children to get their hats wet, that will keep them cool.

My 3 haven't struggled this week, it's been lovely.

Because children are at greater risk of heatstroke than adults?

Infants definitely.

It's very much school depending after that. I teach on a second floor in a secondary school. It's always 5C hotter in my room than outside in summer as 2 sides of the room are glass, the windows open 2 inches. It's hotter than Satan's arsehole but everyone else will be dealing with it so I shall too

But little kids need to be at home.

I think there's no maximum temperature as generally the temperature doesn't get that high except on rare occasions. Or didn't, historically. Perhaps it needs revisiting as climate change is going to mean hotter summers.

I think something needs to be done. Just stepping into the corridor on Monday, from the KS2 classrooms that get full sun between about 10am and 3pm, was dramatically cooler. I felt so sorry for those kids and the teachers were all changing plans so the afternoon lessons were relaxed, free-flow activities rather than formal lessons because no-one could concentrate.

I'm with you op! The children's behaviour in my class is an intense mixture of them now checking out because the end is near and being too hot and exhausted. I've had several students have meltdowns these last couple of days. I'm am hoping for closure on Monday!!

It's not 30C in the south next week. Forecast is 34/36C.

It's definitely going to be potentially health impacting for kids.

I'm glad it's not just me! I feel really sorry for some of our little ones, it's impossible to help them feel better! To make it worse we are still waiting for new blinds to be installed so the heat from the windows makes it 10 times worse.

Been thinking this myself. What would be the 'cut-off'?

As in, what age do people think kids should be kept home and what age are ok to go to school? My kid is 7 and I'm very tempted to keep them off on Monday as just don't think they'd cope well with the heat but I don't know what to do for the best

Oh no don't say that😱

Seriously???
Schools (and kindergarten etc) on the continent:

• also don’t have aircon


• get such temperatures more often


• definitely don’t shut down!

No, they shouldn't.

I agree. My small classroom in the south east (where windows only open by a slither) was unbearable today. My classroom hit 34degrees and 3 children were sick this afternoon.

Then we received an email to say that due to staff covid rates, we will be splitting classrooms between those of us left. 42 people crammed into a small room with no air conditioning and windows on both sides.

I am dreading Monday.

Its 35 degrees all over the world very regularly
why would children in the UK need special rules?
especially if this is set to become the norm because of climate change

That's just awful Poor children and poor staff

Then perhaps we need to find a way to live with these temperatures. Very few schools have decent fans, shaded areas, access to water play, regular breaks.

Well the point you made regarding they get the temperatures more often pretty much explains why our schools are never quite sure what to do.

All the schools round here closed for the expected great storm. I think a chair may have blew over in my garden and that was it.

Am I being stupid here? Do schools not all have air con?

Nope

My classroom is cooler than my house.

I’m not sure what would be different for the children being at home vs being in school. I don’t have air con and I’m not sure many people do.
Countries across the world cope with this and far hotter temperatures.

@Bonheurdupasse

Yes but in these places, building have been designed with these temperatures in mind.

Many school buildings in the UK.were built in Victorian to mid 1900's and were built to keep heat in.

Not many schools have that in Rome or Marseille etc either though…

I don’t think they should be forced to close completely but I do think they shouldn’t attempt to carry on as normal, particularly with young children. (Eg blazers and ties should not be up to the head’s decision, I know a head who still makes children wear blazers when there were kids on site fainting from the heat.)

At preschool, teachers took the kids outside under the trees, got them playing with water in wet clothes, and gently made it clear that they were keen that any parents who were able, should take the kids home. That kind of approach makes sense.

A problem is British buildings are built to keep heat in. We don’t have cooling tiled floors like in the Med.