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.

Complete over reactions here.

No, it's not pleasant.

But it is usually only for a handful of days every year.

Children should drink a lot of water, wear cool clothes, run their wrists under cold water at break times, and stay in the shade.

Before social media existed, these conversations would never see the light of day.

I have taught in boiling classrooms with huge glass windows- think 1970s designs- and freezing cold prefabs with a single convector heater on the wall (temp classrooms) where I had to wear my coat.

Where is resilience these days?

Oh don't be ridiculous.

Should all businesses stop?

Should the tube stop running?

Should hospitals shut?

Are you go to police all of the above in a primary school then?

i don’t even think there is any shaded areas at my childrens primary school because they often have to erect little gazebos.

Heat stroke kills, sun damage to skin changes the dna of the cell hence why you peel when you’ve burned yourself. The risk of skin cancer after is very high.

It should be taken more seriously.

‘where is resilience these days’ often said by people who are happy to smack their kids or parent using fear.

We do all those things.

It's still brutal inside for the little ones when the temperatures sore, 32+ in classrooms upstairs and no way to get it down.

Yes they should. We are just London and my kids have been really unwell due to the heat. I'm keeping them off school Monday and Tuesday because it's going to reach up to 35C possibly more and I don't want them being sick and getting headaches again. Especially when it's the last week of school.

Is the OP suggesting employers will be forced to allow parents paid/unpaid leave to look after children if schools suddenly shut? Does the OP have any idea how hard it is to cover the long school holiday period without adding to it? Unless schools go back earlier, but then some parents will already have paid for holidays in the final weeks of the holiday period so that’s not workable either. In any case most homes don’t have any more protection from the heat and many don’t have outdoor space at all. This is all very short sighted. And only makes sense if you don’t work and live in a nice house with a garden.

Yes they should.
My KS1 children have been really struggling. Emotional, tantrums, over tired due to lack of sleep, being sick, we’ve even had a couple faint.

It's still brutal inside for the little ones when the temperatures sore

Soar.

Anyway, would it be any cooler at home? Do you want to keep them in a fridge? It's a few days a year FGS.

Water, suncream, cool clothes. And deal with it.

Some on here won't have the same issues, but the schools in Scotland, especially north Scotland, are atrocious. Completely forgotten about. Those standards are quite common here. One new school built in 2017 is already over capacity and they are needing to get outbuildings for the kids.

Welcome to the council areas that only focus on building houses and reducing all services... There's no wonder our education system is collapsing.

I hope that those thinking schools should close aren't going out to restaurants, getting takeaways, going to the pub, shops, expecting your bins to be emptied etc. If it's too much for your little angels then don't expect people to have to work in it.

It's not like we're talking about schools closing anytime we get a little sweaty, but when the weather is going to be in the mid 30's is it that unreasonable? UK buildings are designed to keep the heat in. And many classroom windows barely open. Add 30 kids to that room and it's effectively a sauna.

The fact that there is an Amber warning means that it could be dangerous. Schools should close. And if this kind of weather is going to be more common then schools should be provided with things like aircon to prevent further closures.

Heat kills. Schools shouldn't have to shut down, instead they should be equipped with proper air conditioning to deal with heatwaves. As should offices and homes.

Buildings should be properly insulated so they they keep heat out in the summer and the heat in, in the winter. Huge glass windows should be fitted with blinds (as in many European countries) which can be lowered to prevent the blazing sun coming in directly in hot weather, so that the building doesn't become a 'greenhouse'.

Every building needs to be fitted with adequate solar panels on the roof so that the energy required to power all that air conditioning is entirely green, and not further heating up the planet, with other 'green' energy making up any shortfall.

Unfortunately, none of this is likely in my lifetime, so we can only dream on.....

How would that work for working parents?

Yes cos our kids haven't missed enough school recently.

Sorry but this is not the first time it's hit these temperatures, but we have now set the precedent for lock down so I am not surprised it's now the first call after something a little unusual.

As a PP says what's going to be next and in what scenario? Apparently, a month ago there was a mass invasion of fruit flies. Maybe if that happens again, we should all lockdown.

I’d have been in a mess if the schools had just randomly closed due to the heat. With no childcare I would have had to leave work and either be unpaid or use annual leave meaning more to pay for in the hols. I could not have afforded it.

Heat kills

But not usually children in a UK classroom.

I think many posters here are very young. You need to get a grip.

After 30-odd years as a teacher and parent, I think it's a nonsense to say shut schools.

Where does it stop?

Lots of adults work in non-airconditioned offices. Some actually LIVE in homes and high rise buildings without it.

Shock, horror!

My classroom's boiling - took my own tower fan in as we don't have any. Have adapted a few things like no outside PE (or do it first thing), children must stay under shade of trees at lunchtime or stay in, lots of water. Blinds down, windows wide open first thing. It's not ideal but we're going to have to learn to live with it.

Mind you, child numbers are way down.

I can too. In fact I wouldn't be able to take mine out during the holidays because me and my children don't cope well with the heat 😂 my mum took me on holiday to Greece in the summer holidays once - I spent the entire holiday miserable, hiding in the air conditioned hotel room. No way am I wasting money on that.

The fact that there is an Amber warning means that it could be dangerous

But not for 4-18 year olds in a classroom.

The amber warning applies to the very elderly and/or those with heart conditions or other medical conditions. They need to drink more fluids, draw their curtains and stay inside. (My mum is 95 and hates the heat now.)

Please get a grip.

That's how it works in hotter countries though, so you can't have it both ways and say well people in other countries cope because they cope by adapting!

Lets just hope the Police dont strike because they may be a tadge hot in their uniforms! Likewise Nursing Staff,firefighters who will be so cool (not!) when fighting forest fires .pregnant ladies who must stay home and so on .Most of the parents when I was a Nursery Nurse ,had professional jobs so couldnt just take time off to get the paddling pool out! Obv dont have Sports Days (Couldnt believe it when went past our local park, and children were running races!) Keep youngsters out of the sun and cover up.Unless all DC grow up to be SAHMS with a Housekeeper to go shopping for them ,its not much prep for their future Adult lives!

I can as well. Haven’t been abroad since my oldest was a year old.

Not all countries, or even the majority. Summers in Japan are something else, the children have similar school hours to us and although Aircon is more common it still isn't available in all classrooms or schools. I sponsor children in India and Uganda and they also have long school days.

I agree it is a struggle. Not sure about closing schools though. We've tried to make afternoons more practical and taken them outside under the shade when I can.

Japan declared a national disaster in 2018 due to the amount of deaths caused by a heatwave. That included school children being rushed to hospital with heatstroke. I'm not sure that's a country we should really be emulating when it comes to dealing with heat.