Extreme heat warning for school return

Students across the country are returning to the classroom – but a parents’ group says too many schools are ill-equipped to deal with extreme heat.

The return to school has prompted concern that too many Australian classrooms lack adequate airconditioning or insulation, turning them into virtual hotboxes.

Analysis by the advocacy group Parents for Climate reveals that in December alone, more than 14,000 students in 54 government schools across the country missed a day in class because of extreme heat and/or bushfires.

Of these, 10,903 of the students were in NSW, and 3173 were in South Australia.

While mild to warm temperatures are forecast for most centres on the eastern seaboard this week, 40 degree days in the west could be a harbinger of extremely hot conditions in the east next week.

Students at Eastern Fleurieu's Strathalbyn Year 7-12 campus. The heavily concreted nature of many Australian schoolyards means many exacerbate the effects of hot weather. Picture: Dean Martin

Parents for Climate CEO Nic Seton said the Commonwealth and state governments should “cooperatre to ensure all classrooms are safe from heat, and to make sure it’s done in a cost effective way, which means airconditioning supported by energy efficiency and affordable solar power”.

There were massive differences between the states on the issue, Mr Seton said, with the Cooler Cleaner Schools program in Queensland ensuring all state school classrooms now had adequate cooling, while a similar program in NSW had left 350 schools without airconditioning and ventilation upgrades.

Meanwhile Victorian state schools had to organise their own funding to install airconditioning, the group stated.

A spokesperson for the NSW Education Department said all new schools had airconditioning installed in classrooms and libraries, while the needs of existing schools was addressed on a case-by-case basis. Some 1400 classrooms and libraries in 88 public schools in NSW have had airconditioning installed since April 2023.

A spokesperson for the SA Department for Education said the closure of 34 schools on December 8 was a “safety issue due to highly dangerous bushfire conditions or power outages”.

While some might wonder if hot temperatures are really such a big deal, given they’re a fact of life for every Australian kid, a report from Parents for Climate late last year argued hot classrooms were not conducive to learning.

“High air temperatures and lower hydration are known to affect children’s ability to concentrate,” the report stated. “Studies show that optimal learning environments have a consistent temperature between 22°C and 24°C. They also show that learning outcomes decrease by about 1.5 per cent with each 2°C increase in temperature above 24°C.”

Mr Seton said parents who had spoken to the group also expressed concern about the number of times school sports events were being cancelled, or play time was being constrained to indoor areas, because of excessive heat.

Nic Seton, CEO of the group Parents for Climate. Picture: Supplied

One mother from a regional area previously affected by bushfires said the disruption caused by school closures could also trigger anxiety for students and communities.

“Children who have been through the fires need the safety and routine of school but when schools are closed they don’t get that, right when they need it most,” said the mother, who asked not to be named.

Comment from the education departments in NSW and SA was being sought.

In an online statement the NSW Department of Education said about 600 schools across the state were located in areas with average January temperatures of 30°C or more.

“The Cooler Classrooms Program is designed to support teaching and learning in the hottest parts of the state. However, while we acknowledge this, we’re also conscious that students in other areas may also be experiencing hot conditions that are unique to their school or local area,” the Department material stated.

Originally published as Extreme heat warning for school return