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.

Would your dc be distressed? And will you keep them home

The children would be worse off if the parents lost their jobs because of taking too much time off to look after their children!

None of it is ideal, but it's just a few days in the year and only in certain parts of the country, and probably only certain schools.

I live on the continent and summer temperatures are always 30+, usually with a few weeks of 35, 37 degrees. I live in a capital city, in a (beautiful!) apartment without air conditioning or a garden; no school or kindergarten has aircon. The temperature in my apartment is 29 degrees at the moment, and goes down to about 26, 27 in the night - so I’m not sure the argument about English buildings cuts it.

Schools and kindergartens cope by keeping blinds closed, taking the kids out to the park first thing in the morning for water play, or sometimes to a pool, and keeping activities quiet and gentle.

It's not worth it for such a small number of days when it truly is "too" hot. Most of the time, it's not, which is VERY different to warmer countries where it's hot for weeks/months.

no what do you think they do abroad when its hot.

Short notice closures and lost income for the most vulnerable. Yeah, that sounds like a plan when school can adequately manage this just as well as parents, with blinds and water. Better than parents who aren’t educated, in fact.

exactly this.

What makes you so special? We all have to carry on and can't down tools. Perhaps request air conditioning units/ fans from the head for the classroom

In the Veneto the schools broke up for summer June 9th.
They go back around 11th September.

My kids school, due to covid, had windows open all winter in all their classrooms and it got cold - I bought them thermal underwear fingerless gloves and the school allowed them and teachers to wear coats in lesson - major concession - and they all got on with it.

Now its really hot - I've sent them in with refillable water bottles and in natural fabrics where I can.

Throughout this DD1 at college has been able to dress according to the weather with no restrictions and has fare so much better despite longer travel journey.

But me expressing the view that we could and long term should do better than having staff and students physically uncomfortable for large part of the year because isn't ideal for teaching and learning means their all snowflakes and will never hold down a job .

I think entire sector need to think about quick and easy wins, intermediately solutions - ceiling fans shade in playgrounds and long term more drastic - school times/dates.

Though here in Wales they are apparently thinking of a 4 week summer holiday - which could make it all more or less on an issue depending when holidays fall.

I can't speak for every country on the continent but in Portugal (where my nephew was born and raised) they have three months off in the summer precisely because the kids struggle so much in the extreme heat. I also know from my friends living in Spain that times are adjusted in summer so that the kids are out of school by midday in order to miss the hottest part.

Plenty of people have clarified for you from personal experience that adjustments are made in many European countries so I'm not sure why you're continuing to argue this point.

I do not think schools should close, children have already missed too much schooling.
I do think schools should get rid of ridiculous uniform requirements and that school summer holidays should be changed to encompass July when it tends to be warmest.

I went to school in Bavaria, Germany - they have Hitzefrei, which is when the temp hits 30C in the shade, they send everyone home. Our school had a thermometer in a shady spot for precisely this reason. School hours are from 8am to 1pm and we were sent home for heat maybe 10 times in my 8-year stint. So yes, I do think they should send kids home in overly hot weather.

If and when this climate trend continues, the UK is going to have to get much, much better at heat regulation.

When we were young we used to take out lessons outside but I guess that wouldn't be suitable nowadays....

.

Totally agree with you. Had to go inside one of my child's classroom the other day for some reason and it was so hot and stuffy at 4pm. This is with windows and doors open. They don't have fans and I can only imagine it being worse between 12 to 3 pm when it is hottest. We live in London and the forecast is of temperatures of 30+. There is not much learning going on in classes anyway so there is no point making them sit in heat.

I don’t think they should have to shut but it’s certainly going to be interesting. I’ve not heard from any of the three schools mine are in about changes to uniform or relaxation of it re blazers and ties and one of mine is prone to fainting and nose bleeds in high temps.

I did get an email about sports day being next week for the secondary schooler in a field with no shade at all… the fainter.

My youngest school however is very meh about uniforms Pe kit on the wrong day ah who cares your here, a uniform for Pe? Nah put on what you want who cares. They also have no problem getting the ice cream man in though so I’m sure she will as cool as she can be although the windows only open a couple of cm but they are shaded.

I am from a South Asian country. Our schools finish at 2pm so that children can go home and have a rest and avoid heat. Our schools start earlier as well, 7.45am was the time when my school started. With the heatwave there need to be changes on how schools are run.

Little kids need to be at home?@GuyFawkesDay What about their parents who need to be at work to earn enough money for them to have a home?

Kids on the continent are already off for their summer break !

I think schools should be shut in extreme heat, because UK schools aren't set up to cater for it. However, 30° is not extreme.

They shouldn’t be having the windows open - it lets the heat in. Closed the windows and cover the windows with blinds or paper (if no blinds)

Oh do fuck off. Teachers are always looking for any excuse to close schools. Get a fan!

www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/heatwave-how-to-cope-in-hot-weather/

@getalifesonny

I agree.
Also there's the fact that our bodies are not used to it due to the rarity of hot weather in this country, so heat stress is more common.

And who on Earth is expected to take care of them while not in school?

Jeez, close for the heat, close for a few flakes of snow, what next?

I took my O Levels in 1976, No air con and no water bottles allowed (didn't exist in those days.) no 'summer uniform' we survived, and it was REALLY unusual then. We really need to get used to this as it won't change in our lifetime. Get used to it. Lobby your school for a change in hours (so start earlier) or other options.