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 clearly referring to the children in school. Sadly people die in heatwaves, thankfully school children in Spain don’t die because of going to class in the heat. They do it every year. It’s not particularly pleasant and the schools should have AC, but bar only going to school from October - May, there’s nothing to be done. Even in October the temperatures sometimes hit the early 30s.

For the first time ever, BBC weather is forecasting 40 for some areas.

I think at 40 degrees plus there’s a case for schools to close if they have no AC, as that is really hot. 30 degrees like the OP said, then no. In parts of Andalusia where they get really extreme heat in the mid 40s they do close schools on the hottest days, which is perfectly sensible as children and teachers could easily get dehydrated.

I think it could get to 50 degrees and some posters would be determined to say people are overreacting and to just “keep calm and carry on” 😉

Yeah, it's this really weird stiff-upper-lip blitz-spirit bullshit. "People have it worse in other countries so shut up."

Yes exactly. Other people having something worse doesn’t take away from the person experiencing that thing themselves.

It’s sensible and logical to address this issue, especially when on this thread actual teachers and TAs have come on and explained what it’s really like for them and for the children. To continue to deny it in the face of people explaining the facts is really weird to me.

Maybe next week won’t be a big deal as it’s only for a couple of days after all, but it would be crazy to just ignore this and not put in place plans for next summer, and the one after etc. These kinds of temperatures are only going to get worse and it’s inhumane to force people to be in buildings several degrees hotter than outside.

Don’t worry about hammering into asbestos walls, it’s nigh impossible.
You have to use copydex and such to attach anything. Or you shin up a 15’ ladder and suspend things from the ceiling.

30 deg is certainly not hot enough to close schools. In Australia temperatures in summer regularly hover around 34/36/38 and when it hits 40 THAT is hot and even then schools do not close. And no, most schools have no airconditioning.I lived in the U.K for two years and found summers extremely mild. If it worries you, keep your children at home for the day.

Sorry but 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣we are expected to bring fans in from home as well. Schools are not set up for hot weather in the state sector

Plus it's now several models predicting 40 degrees apparently:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/weather/4583720-we-need-to-talk-about-the-weather-and-the-potential-for-extreme-heat?page=20&reply=118551295

There are also several teachers saying their class room are significantly hotter than outside temps.

Having said that my kids should be okay as we're in an amber rather than red area - so hot and unpleasant but should be fine.

I wonder why England and Wales start summer holiday later than the rest of Europe and North America? It does seem that the end of July is often the hottest time of year and it’s certainly cooler by the end of August.
35 forecast for Tuesday and Monday night won’t get below 21 degrees! That really is super hot.

Red Weather warning for large parts of the UK. This isn’t just ‘summer’

I don't know why the school year s structured as it is - apparently the often cited harvest and needing more labour in isn't true - it wrong time of year and brought in at a time of very quick urbanisation and rapid farm mechanisation.

Wales is thinking about changing school year - School holidays: Should the summer break be halved in Wales? but not sure how much hotter summers have been factored into that.

My kids went to infants school in Hong Kong. In the summer, Before air con was installed, they started school at 8 and finished at 12.30 to avoid heat exhaustion. I think it’s nuts to expect small children to concentrate at 35 degree heat.

Some schools across England are responding to the heat with plans to close early next week, allowing pupils to wear PE kit or rescheduling sports days.

Heatwave: Met Office issues red extreme heat warning

Does sound like some schools will close.

They've cancelled Sport day start of next week at DC school in amber area and said they can come in PE kit but has to be school PE kit which is black and polyester so not sure it is better than short sleeved cotton shirts TBH.

I just don’t understand people who are minimising this heat wave. It’s hotter than previous ‘heat waves’ and is extreme weather. It is a big deal. We had floods that killed people last year. Thus s extreme weather from climate change. Australia has just been through extreme weather and Spain is it in now.
The FGS just get on with it (including an Australian) / in my hot country we never died from heat comments are tedious. There will have been adjustments you weren’t aware of.

My brain finds it hard to colllerate these warnings!
On the one hand - threat to life, possibly infrastructure not working, red warning.

But then ..."my school have allowed the DC to ditch their blazers and ties,until 2.30 and get extra water".

Should I be hanging White or darker colour fabrics at the window? Some windows don't have blinds.

@Pruella Yes, very fine cotton or lawn only offers about SPF10 equivalence. A T shirt however is made of much thicker material and will give a much higher protection.

In some hot countries, they do actually sell SPF clothing but that’s in places where it’s 35-40+ regularly.

As I said before, I don’t have aircon, just fans and shutters. I live in a place where during winter it’s very cold, nighttime temps are around 10, daytime temps a maximum of 25ish. From spring to autumn there is a rapid climb to nighttime being 25+ and days 35+ so there are 9 months of hot to extreme hot and then a rapid descent into cold winter. There isn’t really a springtime or autumn in the traditional sense! Winter is good because it rains. No one complains when it rains because we need the rains.

Make sure you keep your windows and curtains shut tight. If you don’t have thick curtains, use folded quilt covers and hand over the curtain rail and over your closed curtains. Keep internal doors open to allow for air flow. Use fans. Keep hydrated. Most hot weather deaths are due to a combination of dehydration and heatstroke. Watch the kids for symptoms of heat stroke. Stay out of the sun as much as you can.

We've just used White Blackout Thermal 3 Pass Curtain Lining Insulation Light Block Fabric Material - with this and VELCRO Brand Stick On White Tape, Hook and Loop Tape Self Adhesive Fastener Roll for the one south facing bedroom and it does seem to be working quite well.

Though I think that would be too expensive for somewhere like a school or in house with multiple windows to sort.

You can get SPF clothing on Amazon - tend to get it for our kids for beach holidays as they are fair skinned and burn easily and badly.

", it's this really weird stiff-upper-lip blitz-spirit bullshit. "

Reading this thread the real problem is there seems to be too many people with stiff upper lips in positions of authority who seem to perceive any attempt at mitigation as a sign of weakness.

Given the forecast any members of SLTs insisting blazers should be worn or even carried next week has got no business being anywhere need any leadership team, and certainly not one involved with children.

For those who don’t know (and I didn’t) you shouldn’t be opening the windows. It’s best to keep them closed when it’s not. I’m not talking about extreme temperatures like 39 or 40 but when it hurts the high 20s, windows should be closed and blinds/curtains too.

I think most working parents have contingency plans if children are ill/schools close or whatever. As an HR manager I've had people come in late while they sort things out but there is something badly wrong if everyone is at home for a shift because a school has closed.

If you have a contract of employment you really do need a plan for these things as you have an obligation to your employer as well as your children. As a working mother in the 70s when we didn't have the employment protections we have now I never took a whole day off because of childcare even when my children's school was closed for several days due to all the pipes freezing and it being a health hazard to have the children in with no toilet facilities and then when it thawed the school flooded, the ducted hot air heating system blew up and the school was closed for another 3 weeks.

For those who don’t know (and I didn’t) you shouldn’t be opening the windows.

This is working on the assumption that it is cooler inside than outside. This is often not the case in classrooms where it is hotter inside than outside.