The heat wave will disrupt children’s classes as principals in England continue to announce the closure of schools due to the extreme weather, while others plan to open their doors normally on Monday morning.
Ministers recommend schools remain open despite the Met Office issuing its first red warnings for extreme heat on Monday and Tuesday and predicting a 50 to 60 per cent chance of temperatures reaching 40 ° C in the UK.
While the temperature may be easier to regulate in schools, some parents are concerned about sending their children during what the UK Health Safety Agency calls a “national emergency”.
A New Forest mother said she was worried her eight-year-old son “would get hot in a horribly hot classroom and not have a chance to say what he needs.”
“And that they will be in the sun when they play and not drink or apply sunscreen. I think the kids should be at home where we can keep them cool and comfortable,” Kerri Watt said.
It is more difficult for children to control their body temperature than adults because they do not sweat as much and make them more likely to feel bad.
Schools in several counties will be closed, though Ms. Watt has not heard of any in her local area.
She said: “I think they should absolutely close on Monday and Tuesday … A lot of people are concerned that it doesn’t mean any attention to children, but my priority is the comfort and safety of children.”
Some schools that remain open have announced measures to improve children’s comfort, such as allowing them to wear their physical education equipment or looser clothing. Others will send the children home around lunch time, while some have announced general closures for both Monday and Tuesday.
However, there are concerns about children’s learning after lessons were severely disrupted during the pandemic.
Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News that children should be in school and that principals would do their best to keep schools as cool as possible.
He added: “I think children have already lost a lot of things in terms of their education and it is right that they are there.”
Lincolnshire’s Yelena McCafferty echoed that sentiment, telling me she was glad her 15-year-old son was staying in school “as our children have already wasted a lot of time in the classroom during the pandemic “.
Learn more about the heat wave
“Schools can mitigate any negative effects of heat as my child’s high school is doing by introducing heat arrangements. For example, schools can make sure fresh water is available, use air-conditioned rooms. , shadow areas, enter a short sleeve order.
He added: “I think everyone should learn the ability to adapt and use common sense again and not rely on the government to issue instructions every time something unusual is expected for a couple of days.”
Experts said schools faced a number of complexities when it came to responding to extreme heat.
Professor Hannah Cloke, who works in floods, heat waves and natural hazards at the University of Reading, said: “People’s houses and small flats in particular have become a very, very dangerous place. .
“It’s a matter of fairness. There are people who have bigger houses that can help keep a room cool and probably have access to cooling devices, but for those kids who will be in small hot flats, maybe this isn’t the way to go. right decision “.
Mike Tipton, a professor of human and applied physiology at the University of Portsmouth, said school closures should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
“This will depend on the school (air conditioning / cooling capacity) and what the children have to bring, the amount of physical activity and exposure to heat involved in going to and from school, and how it’s the situation at home in terms of staying cool. So it’s a case-by-case assessment. “
A public health adviser who wished to remain anonymous agreed that school cancellations depended on their individual circumstances: “There will be schools where classrooms will be kept cool, perhaps because they have shade or because they are in old buildings. [which] they often have a much higher thermal mass, which means they don’t heat up as much. “
He suggested that one way to keep classrooms cool was for teachers to open all windows and doors early in the morning before closing them to regulate temperature.
Nicola, a reception teacher in Derbyshire, said the priority for school staff was to keep students safe in the heat wave.
“For the vast majority of children, especially the little ones, they would probably be at home with an ice and a children’s pool in the shade where someone can focus more on them and can only wear pants if necessary. , children who have to go to school may be in smaller numbers, making the environment safer for everyone.
“Teachers are always made to be lazy and want free time, but all we care about is that kids are safe.
Nicola added, “So I think we want support and understanding. The general closure of schools would cause bigger problems, but it would probably be best to open up to parents who need it and vulnerable children who would be safer in school.”