Publish at June 24 2025 Updated June 24 2025
Our world is warming up. Heatwaves are becoming recurrent events with major effects on the population. The air conditioning is on full blast, and those who don't have it are running as many fans as possible. While society as a whole suffers from the heat, schoolchildren are no less affected. The last few weeks before the summer vacations arrive can be a real test of endurance.
In 2024, Quebec, a region associated with the cold in the world's collective imagination, was hit by a heat wave as early as May. This situation placed classrooms in conditions worthy of a lit oven. No matter how much they use fans, cover the windows with tarpaulins and turn off the lights as soon as possible, temperatures of over 30 degrees are unbearable for students in these buildings designed for winter. Especially since, ironically, the management and secretariat are entitled to air-conditioning during this time...
The problem is that at high temperatures, learners can't concentrate and can't learn effectively. A study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shows that a 2-degree rise in global temperature would lead to a 4% drop in academic achievement. The worry is that, since children under 17 are much less likely to suffer dangerous consequences in times of heatwave than adults, the latter tend to downplay the phenomenon. It's always been hot in the classroom when summer arrives, but now, high temperatures are more intense, and the period when heat can occur is getting longer every year.
In fact, in a northern country like Canada, the situation now lasts from May to September. As a result, experts are calling on the authorities to address the issue quickly. In their view, postponing the issue could lead to potentially dramatic events in the health of some young people. Technically, they can stand the heat better, but their bodies won't be able to cope with increasingly hot temperatures. What's more , teachers suffer from the heat too: it makes them tired, uncomfortable, less efficient and less tolerant.
It's not surprising that heat is increasingly becoming a school issue. Parents and teachers in the United States are asking certain districts to take a serious look at the issue. The battle is the same in Quebec for teachers, who often find themselves in outdated buildings whose insulation has not been designed with climate change in mind. There's a lot of talk about schools in the northern hemisphere, but the situation is even less glowing in nations where the heat is present virtually all year round , as in La Réunion, for example, where students protested during the winter of 2025, given the sometimes 34-degree temperatures in classrooms.
Some of these students are asking for changes to the timetable on hot days. In fact, the United States has adopted "heat days" - days when schools are closed due to extreme heat, as happens during major snowstorms ("snow days"). Temporary solutions that may help learners, but do nothing to resolve the issue of heat in buildings.
It seems obvious that school environments need to change. But how? The simplest answer seems to be air conditioning for all schools , but that's not so good. Indeed, while this works well with classroom doors closed, it will be harder for them to retain the artificial coolness when it goes into the corridors. What's more, air-conditioning means higher energy requirements, which in turn exacerbates the problem of climate change.
The solution seems to lie in structural changes to schools. It would be a good idea to consider green roofs, or at least reflective ones, so that they absorb less heat. Installing elements on the windows that effectively cut off the sun's rays hitting the classrooms would also help reduce the temperature inside the building. Outside, heat-resistant surfaces, shaded areas and green spaces are all part of the answer.
School architecture could also take inspiration from this Indian school, which lives comfortably despite heat waves, having reduced its temperature by 20%. It is elliptical in shape, with perforated walls to allow air circulation. The walls are made of thick yellow sandstone to better absorb heat without it seeping into the classroom. Part of the roof is covered with solar panels to provide power when there are power cuts, and the other part is painted white to reflect the sun's rays. A creation by an American architect who has grasped the heat challenges of the Thar desert region.
The authorities need to take a serious look at these risks. According to Unicef, 1 pupil in 7 has his or her schooling disrupted by extreme weather conditions. This figure is unlikely to decrease over the coming decades. Some unions are taking this issue head-on. There are simple ways to make schools cooler, so that teachers and learners feel more comfortable.
Image generated by AI (Copilot)
References
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Chinowsky, Paul. "As classrooms heat up due to climate change, school infrastructure needs upgrades." FastCompany. Last updated: August 3, 2024. https://www.fastcompany.com/91164284/schools-classrooms-heat-up-climate-change-school-infrastructure-expensive-upgrades.
Dion-Viens, Daphnée, and Dominique Scali. "Students do less well in hot weather, scientific studies show." Le Journal de Montréal. Last updated September 8, 2024. https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2024/09/30/les-eleves-reussissent-moins-bien-quand-il-fait-chaud-selon-des-etudes-scientifiques.
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"Strong heat: student protests outside collèges and lycées." Réunion La 1ère. Last updated: February 6, 2025. https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/reunion/forte-chaleur-manifestations-des-eleves-devant-des-colleges-et-lycees-1559770.html.
Giraudeau, Marina. "Heatwave: an Indian school reduces its temperature by 20% without air conditioning." RTL. Last updated: February 12, 2025. https://www.rtl.fr/actu/meteo/canicule-une-ecole-reduit-sa-temperature-de-20-sans-climatisation-7900471631.
Kreeft, Alexander. "Staying cool in school: Addressing rising temperatures in education." EDspaces. Last updated: December 19, 2024. https://ed-spaces.com/stories/staying-cool-in-school-addressing-rising-temperatures-in-education/.
Looker, Rachel. "US schools sending students home for 'heat days'." BBC. Last updated June 21, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv225xgy5xxo.
Moscrop, David. "Hot classrooms are a crisis - and a tragedy waiting to happen." TVO Today. Last updated: June 19, 2024. https://www.tvo.org/article/hot-classrooms-are-a-crisis-and-a-tragedy-waiting-to-happen.
Rodi, Frank. "School in hot weather." Versants. Last updated: June 18, 2024. https://www.versants.com/actualite/lecole-en-temps-de-canicule/.
Tison, Florence. "Scorching heat: rethinking the school environment." Centrale Des Syndicats Du Québec (CSQ). Last updated: September 7, 2023. https://www.lacsq.org/actualite/chaleur-accablante-repenser-lenvironnement-des-ecoles/.
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Wong, Jessica. "Extreme heat days are overheating schools more often - and experts say it needs our attention." CBC. Last updated: June 18, 2024. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/education-hot-classrooms-1.7228249.
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