Should schools be closed at 35°C?

[DancingThroughLife02]

Not really an AIBU but looking ahead at the forecast for next week and it’s looking like a scorcher.

I work in a secondary school in a science classroom (which seems to get extra hot during practicals) and we have no fans or AC or anything at all to keep the children cool. Open windows don’t seem to help much. The thermostat in the classroom got above 30°C in the afternoon.

The children need to have their water bottles filled at break times and lunch times only and are not allowed to fill them during lessons - which I disagree with as so many come to me saying that they didn’t get a chance to fill theirs up in the 20 minute lunch break.

Last week I had children saying they were dizzy and feeling sick, and they’re made to go outside during breaks. I’m also not sure that anything I taught them during the extra hot days actually stuck in anyway as they all seemed melted onto the desks.

I know there is a legal lower temperature limit for classrooms/workplaces but maybe with the increasing summer temperatures over the last few years we need to start considering investing in ACs as the heat in summer seems to be more prolonged than a couple hot days and in the meantime consider health and safety of the students (and teachers as even I was beginning to feel a bit dizzy).

Our science classrooms all had sinks in them.

It was around 28 max, though. Not like the temps we're seeing today.

I don’t agree that schools should close because of the heat, but they do need to make precautionary allowances like letting children wear shorts or filling water bottles. I also work in a school, which luckily does have AC and AHU systems but we still get complaints of people being hot.
if your school doesn’t have any ac or ahu system you need to speak to governors as the LA get given budgets per year to make adjustments and adding this could be one of them!

And A-levels. Thank god.

Well that is good news!

Yes, I checked the dates before I posted but forgot the last date would be the contingency.

(I teach primary... )

Supplied with drinking water?

Phew - yes, that is a very blessed relief. I forgot about contingency when I checked the dates.

Exactly. Some children live in boiling hot flats.

Probably not as it would disturb the asbestos.

And I wish I was kidding.

Unlike during covid, however, they are allowed out of them.

Where they will be in a smaller group where their parents can better monitor their needs, keep them hydrated, take them out to seek shade / air con.

Absolutely yes. I taught young adults in a hot country and if no air conditioning is available and ventilation is limited, you have a few falling asleep or fainting by 1pm.

You know where the “siesta” idea of hot countries came from? Yes, you are bad enough by 1pm but you can die of heatstroke if out and about and working between 3 and 5 if you are in somewhere hot.

It wasn’t the solid 30 degree temperature which was the problem as much as the longevity. In fact the temperature varied between 30-35 degrees. It was the no drinks rule which made the difference. Kids were repeatedly suffering from heat induced asthma or just plain passing out. Yet in the Winter of Discontent with record low temperatures and an oil strike there was no heating. Then they sent the kids home excepting the Sixth Form who were due their mock A Levels and deemed ‘untrustworthy’ to study at home. As a concession we were allowed to wear our own clothes.
So somebody somewhere has to make changes. Shorter days dress codes the availability of cold drinks.

They could do all of that at school. Most school fields/ playgrounds have some shade. If not some could be arranged.

Our primary school is refusing to cancel sports day despite the forecast... 😬

All three schools my children go to have either removed all tree or have them fenced off so nobody can go to them. That’s secondary and primary.

My local secondary has 200 kids in Year 7. How would you arrange shade for that many?

There are also 200 in Y8-10 (Y11 should be finished now - lucky them!0

Eh @Yetone? My school doesn’t have a field - 1250 inner city secondary school. What do you propose I do for the safety of my pupils?

My children are in primary school and have said all children can go in PE kits for the week, take handheld fans and can be collected at 1.30 or normal end of day. They are changing the day around so they are not outside in the midday heat and all after school clubs have been cancelled.

Well that was a bit stupid. Local primary has a lot of canopy tents.

Honestly, unless you’re a teacher - or a parent of a teen in a school that is a concrete box of 4 floors - stop making up silly suggestions!

One of our local schools has capacity for up to 2,560 pupils.

Try to find shade for that.

added proof.

I taught in the US for a few months (summer school). It was 25 years ago and there was no AC in the school (small deprived inner city). It was very hot and I literally couldn’t keep my eyes open some days. The kids and the teachers (from there) were completely fine as they were used to it.

It reached that as I had 14 ovens on for 3 hours earlier in the day because I wasn’t allowed to change my practical lessons to foods where we wouldn’t use the ovens.

I don’t work there anymore for obvious reasons.

I have no idea bit inner city children are probably the most at risk if they are sent home.