Schools Bake: Heatwaves Overwhelm Classrooms

Classrooms have reached temperatures as high as 42C (108F) during recent heatwaves, impacting school students and staff. Some schools were forced to close early due to the extreme conditions.

Mark Brignall from the National Education Union highlighted the need for better ventilation, air conditioning, and a uniform approach to managing heat. He suggested creating central hubs for pupils unable to study at their sweltering schools.

The new education minister has identified excessive heat in schools as an 'immediate priority.' She favors a 'centralised action plan' to manage these issues without disrupting education and stated the department's responsibility to develop a strategy for increasing hot weather.

Infrastructure minister Deputy Jonathan Renouf noted that existing buildings, including schools, were constructed for a climate that no longer exists and is becoming more extreme. He emphasized that mitigation and adaptation are key, and there are no simple, immediate solutions.