In a press release issued on Thursday, the OGBL called for improved school infrastructure to cope with heatwaves. It followed an informal survey in which teachers took temperature readings in the classrooms last week, at the request of school union SEW. The average temperature in classrooms exceeded 32 degrees Celsius. In some places, the thermometer even reached over 35 degrees. The OGBL said this was a structural issue and appealed to the government to undertake measures against it.
The union deplored the lack of a clear national framework and criticised the Minister of Education for "delegating crisis management to local municipal and school administrations, limiting himself to issuing general recommendations without providing clear guidelines." OGBL argued that this lack of accountability led to "inconsistent handling of the situation": some schools suspended afternoon classes while others did not, and some provided cooler classrooms for exams, whereas others were unable to offer any alternative.
In the interest of the quality of student learning, as well as the protection of their health and that of teaching and educational staff, the OGBL is calling for "the urgent development of a national plan to adapt schools to deal with extreme heat." Procedures should be clarified at a national level. This plan would require investment such as installation of sunshades on windows, thermal insulation and improved ventilation for school buildings.
