Hundreds of schools across the United Kingdom were compelled to close or send students home early in late June as record-breaking temperatures swept across Europe. The closures, which affected over 1,000 schools, disrupted learning and strained working parents struggling to find childcare.
Experts suggest these disruptions have underscored the United Kingdom's lack of preparedness for increasingly intense and frequent heat waves, a phenomenon attributed to climate change. Public infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and care homes, built for a previous climate, is particularly vulnerable due to poor ventilation and a lack of air conditioning.
Mark Morris, a teacher in Wales, described his school's inability to conduct classes during the heat wave, which saw temperatures reach 35.9 degrees Celsius (96.6 Fahrenheit). He noted that without air conditioning or adequate ventilation, and with limited window opening capabilities, certain subjects requiring ovens or equipment that generates heat became impossible to teach. "Even in a normal summer, the heat on those south-facing windows becomes unbearable," Morris stated.
During the June heat wave, schools that remained open implemented low-tech cooling strategies. Students and teachers used handheld fans and water sprayers, while lunches featured salads and popsicles instead of hot meals. Some sought relief by lying on the floor, the coolest part of the classroom, while others cooled their feet in buckets of water.
Teachers' unions have raised concerns about the health hazards posed by teaching in excessively hot conditions, with reports of educators fainting. The NASUWT teachers' union has long advocated for a maximum workplace temperature and highlighted that many school buildings, particularly those constructed between the 1950s and 1970s, are well past their intended lifespan. The presence of asbestos in four out of five schools further complicates retrofitting air conditioning.
Concerns extend beyond older structures. Dave Woods, head teacher at Beaconsfield Primary School, noted that a newer section of his campus, built just over a decade ago, performed worse in the heat than the original 1908 schoolhouse, which benefits from high ceilings and thick walls. "You would have thought in 2017, there would have been more thinking ahead because we already knew about changes to climate, changes to global temperatures," Woods said.
Underfunding has significantly impacted schools' ability to adapt. Woods cited his school receiving only 7,000 pounds ($9,348) annually for repairs, a sum insufficient for installing air conditioning, which could cost around 20,000 pounds ($26,700), especially with other urgent needs like leaking roofs.
Longer-term solutions being considered include planting trees for shade, installing external window screens, and using solar film. However, these measures are not immediate fixes.
The Climate Change Committee, an independent advisory group, warned in a May report that by 2050, with approximately 2 degrees Celsius of global warming, heat waves could regularly surpass 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) in southern England. The committee projected that without adaptation, the number of school days where indoor temperatures exceed 35 C could increase by 70% compared to the present. This could lead to further learning disruptions and diminished educational outcomes.
The committee recommends low-cost passive cooling measures as a first step, but also advises installing air conditioning in high-risk public buildings, including schools, care homes, and hospitals, within the next 25 years, ideally using low-carbon systems. Richard Millar, the committee's director of adaptation, emphasized the need for immediate investment and action, stating, "It's not just a future problem. Those impacts are here. And we’re not prepared for today’s weather, let alone tomorrow’s."