Air-con row: 'Oldies' say parents raising 'wimps'

Should Ipswich schools have State-funded air-conditioning?

ALL HAIL THE AIR-CON: Prep students and their teacher enjoy the air-conditioning. Picture: Samantha O'Neil

IPSWICH classrooms are sweltering with above-average summer temperatures affecting students all over the city.

With temperatures expected to reach up to 41 degrees this weekend and remaining in the mid-30s all week, students without air-conditioned classrooms are feeling the heat.

The Department of Education and Training pays for air-conditioning for schools in the Cooler School Zones, north of Rockhampton and west of Roma.

However, schools in the Ipswich region aren't considered hot or humid enough to justify State-funded air-conditioning.

What do you think about this? Here's what you said on Facebook:

Lynda Bennett Stone - "Us 'oldies' survived school in the heat, and learnt. Stop saying they can't concentrate in the heat, give them half a chance at break and they will run around like headless chooks, heat or no heat. It's the parents that are raising a generation of bubble wrapped wimps."

Katrina Skene - "We never had air-conditioners when we were at school, so why should this generation have the privilege of it either? Stop bubble wrapping these spoilt children! We survived and so can they."

James Jeffery - "Never had AC when I was at school and temps would be in the 40s. The nation is turning into soft sooks."

Raymond Mason Cole - "Back in my day it was called toughen up, open a few windows and when the teacher wasn't looking throw that paper plane out that window. High fives all around if you got away with it."

Jaime Davidson - "Big deal! When they are in the 'real world' they may not have aircon either!"

Kirsten Hack - "My grandmother tells me daily. That the heat now is worse than when she grew up in central QLD. So yes, I do believe air cons should be put in schools. A small room with over 20 kids has to be extremely uncomfortable for all kids."

Amanda Price - "Whether we went through school in the old days without shouldn't apply. It's going to be 42 on Sunday. You can't justify our children learning in these extreme conditions. The admin staff all have air-conditioning, why not everyone?"

Tanya Wandrey - "My son's school is fully air-conditioned. As for the people saying, 'oh, in my day we survived', well so did I, but every year the heat and humidity gets worse. It was never this bad back in our day! It's a necessity these days."

Hunter Weiss - "How are little people supposed to cope when the temperature is 39C? School should be cancelled. Install AC now."

Donna-Voss N Rob-Blackley - "All schools should be air-conditioned. I feel so sorry for them. It's so hot in some classrooms."

Vicky Sprecak - "All government departs have air-conditioning, all school buildings should be AC'd!"

Originally published as Air-con row: 'Oldies' say parents raising 'wimps'