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.

The Met Office, oh yes they always get it right, don't they.......

No, but they aren’t the only ones predicting very high temperatures for next week. What are your own meteorological models showing that means you can dismiss the forecasts?

The children are not working outside are they?

It’s often hotter inside than outside in schools.

but not seen any my child is actually sick because of it?

We haven’t actually had next week yet.

If it's 34 + on Monday I'll probably keep my kids home. They've struggled with the heat the last two days (have sensory issues/SEN) and it's miserable. They are going in this week but Monday is supposedly hotter.

My sisters kids school in southern France closed at 40 ‘ a couple of weeks ago so it does happen . And they are more used to the heat.

My DC primary school is sandstone built and way cooler than my house on hot days.

apart from that not everyone can just leave work Willy nilly just because it’s hot and the schools have to close, I work in community nursing and am currently doing my training so on placement on a ward at the hospital, it’s hotter than Satan’s armpit in there but we don’t get sent home and I can’t just leave cause the school has closed which, as others have said, could be a yearly occurrence with temps rising.

I bet it will all be fine.............

Keep your kid off, if you like.

Let's hope that if your child becomes sick that the doctor or nurse aren't taking time off to deal with their children whose school has closed. Or your bins aren't collected etc, no moaning, because someone needs to look after the children at home.

As for it is hotter in the classroom, than outside, then let them learn outside?

I can't comment on other European countries but in Germany sending children home from school is definitely a thing. They call it 'hitzefrei'.

I don't quite see why they would be hotter at school than they would be at home, though? Most people's houses don't have air con either. They'd only be melting at home rather than melting at school.

Temperatures in the early 30s are uncomfortable and sweaty. They will absolutely make kids grumpy, lethargic and fed-up. They are not, however, anything close to the kinds of temperatures that are likely to do them actual harm, unless you're actually making them sit in the sun all day or run laps round the playground. Kids get taken to bloody Disneyland in weather hotter than this and spend the entire day outdoors, on their feet and getting over-excited, so I'm pretty sure it won't kill them to sit in a classroom learning to spell the word 'hot'.

I do think schools should relax uniform rules in this weather, having seen a bunch of miserable teenagers all being told to put their blazers on by their teacher at the gates of a school near me the other morning. Not really sure what anyone gains by making kids dress like middle-aged bank clerks at the height of summer.

Schools have large cool rooms, tiled floors, are able to create through draughts. Makeshift blinds are easy to put up. Any school caretaker can manage that

😂😂😂😂😂

Where are these schools. The secondary l taught in had rooms built for 15 with 34 kids in. And they were carpeted.There were122 classrooms. I caretaker fitting blinds🙄which they’re not supposed to do anyway.

The poster presumably is in a different country.

As for it is hotter in the classroom, than outside, then let them learn outside?

There are over 1000 kids.

You can definitely tell the posters on this thread who have no idea of conditions in schools.

What I am a bit shocked about is that you don´t seem to have winter and summer uniforms? My daughter¡s summer uniform is a tshirt and shorts with the school name on, short socks and white trainers. What´s all this about not allowing kids to take blazers off? When May came and it was really hot here in Madrid, my daughter who is nearly four and has to wear a bib over her summer uniform is told to take it off and only wears it at lunch time. They also have bottled water and windows that open properly not slithers. They also have blinds for shade. No air con.

Ha true

That's crazy at my DD's school most of the men are in shorts and t-shirts.

This. Why stop at schools - shops, hospitals, transport etc etc

Ridiculous idea - how do they manage in other countries 🙄

Presumably one of those countries where posters come in and say ‘other countries just get on with it, they aren’t snowflakes’ and then don’t return to the thread to acknowledge that they don’t know what they’re talking about when other posters point out that in those countries schools have already closed, or work different hours, or have different school buildings or have air conditioning, or do in fact close in the heat.

why do people who say ‘but it gets this hot abroad’?! Yes, and the schools are better designed for it, have better mitigations in place and the children have had more chance to acclimatise. When we lived abroad, in a heatwave my DS’s school started at 6:30 and finished at 12 so the kids missed the hottest part of the day. They also had shutters to prevent the school getting too hot. IMO in SE England next week the very early opening mitigation would be sensible.

It depends on what temperatures we are talking about. 30-34 degrees should be fine provided the school is able to open windows, teach outside, let kids come in in PE uniform or own clothes provided ice lollies and have a digress of shade, e.g. from trees. Some schools will not be able to provided a safe environment for staff and students and from about 33/34 degrees, these schools may need to close for the day or part of the day. It usually won't be that hot in the morning, they can maybe finish early, at around 13.00. from 35+ degrees, it makes sense to keep people at home where possible. People in this country aren't used to such heat and many are quite stupid about it and don't know that you need to stay out of the sun e.g. indoors until it cools off in the evening. They think hot temp = jolly in the garden.

It's a bit worrying though, that so many people are teaching their dc that you can just take a day off if things are a bit unusual or difficult. That's not conducive to work ethic or building resilience. As with all things schools need to risk assess, they know what they are doing and there will be guidance.

Apparently the humidity is worse in the UK than lots of other European countries which are hot. The humidity so it makes it feel a lot hotter than in other countries at the same temperature
.

*provide

this inexplicable British nonsense view that suffering and privation are character-building, so expecting children to be afforded the right to drink when thirsty/take off layers of uniform when hot/use a toilet when they need to is regarded with suspicion and derision.

This is so true - it's always a race to the bottom in this country, I'm really sick of it.

Unprecedented!! We had it in the 70's and I certainly remember many many other occasions
It's just summer! But anything for a bit of drama eh?

No my children never attended school, neither did I! Don't be so ridiculous!

You can also spot the posters on this thread that are the ones moaning and whinging at the school gate, "what are you going to do about this", "what are you going to do about the weather", "I think you should do this, it's disgraceful" blah blah. The teachers are there to teach your children, be it snow, rain or sunshine!

You can also tell the non working parents, with gardens and paddling pools and freezers full of ice lollies.

Why can't schools install air con rather than sending children home for what could be weeks at a time if heatwaves last?!

Rubbish!!!

Look up the temperatures from previous summers and calm down a bit

Oh the DRAMA!!

Ah no, it was surely a different sort of heat before?

Or the children were just different back then?

😃