Since Monday, the FSG Compulsory Education Council has received over 350 reports of high temperatures from Vienna schools. “Right now, we’re hardly seeing any readings below 30 degrees,” Rössler explained in an interview with Radio Wien. “In some cases, temperatures as high as 39 degrees have even been recorded.” Schools in the city center are affected, but so are some schools in the outlying districts.
It’s already too hot in the classrooms first thing in the morning, the staff representative emphasized. “And we mustn’t forget that sometimes there are as many as thirty students sitting in a single classroom. That naturally adds a bit more heat.” The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that it’s not possible to ventilate—and thus cool down—the schools overnight.
Curtains in schools apparently removed by the city
A major problem is the lack of shading options—and you can’t spend the whole day or every day outdoors, Rössler continued. Particularly disconcerting in this context is a report that reached ORF from MS Glasergasse 8 in Vienna’s Alsergrund district: A teacher described how, on Tuesday, the city had removed the curtains from the school building without prior notice.
Call for Shorter School Days
The teachers’ staff council at compulsory schools is now calling, on the one hand, for swift measures to help address the current crisis. One example cited is shortening the school day with parental consent. They are calling for amendments to the law governing school hours that would give schools more leeway. They emphasize that a debate about shortening summer vacation is, in any case, out of place.
At the same time, longer-term measures are needed—especially given that heat waves may occur earlier and earlier in the coming years. “These would have to be long-term projects, but they need to start now at the latest,” said Rössler. She advocated working with experts to explore how to make sensible investments in this area.
School ends at 12:00 p.m. at Kundmanngasse High School
Grading conferences are already taking place on Wednesday—so at least the pressure to perform will soon be off. Students at Kundmanngasse High School in Vienna’s Landstraße district are effectively getting a “heat day off,” as reported by “oe24.at”: On Thursday and Friday, students can be picked up as early as 12:00 p.m., just before the midday heat sets in.
Direct-Tennis-3963 on
I read the article but I am still not understanding Y is europe so hard hit by heat wave and are unable to cope with it?? This is like 3rd or 4th year in a row, I am seeing articles on how europe is struggling coz of heat
In India, its hard to cope coz of huge population and people hate to buy ACs but y is europe struggling just as much as India with it despite being developed.
This article shows how heat is becoming an increasingly serious problem in Austrian schools. It also highlights how heat protection is not merely a matter of comfort; in this case, the functionality of the education system is being compromised.
What is striking, however, is that public broadcasting in Austria makes no mention of the obvious solution: air conditioning. The lack of shading options is cited as the main problem. Then the discussion focuses solely on long-term investments. They simply don’t dare to say it. But how else is one supposed to deal with 39° heat?
This reluctance to even mention it.
OOPS_ALL_SCROTUM on
Are you the pro-AC-jihad guy, OP? I just want to let you know that I love air conditioning and am with you in spirit.
5 Comments
Since Monday, the FSG Compulsory Education Council has received over 350 reports of high temperatures from Vienna schools. “Right now, we’re hardly seeing any readings below 30 degrees,” Rössler explained in an interview with Radio Wien. “In some cases, temperatures as high as 39 degrees have even been recorded.” Schools in the city center are affected, but so are some schools in the outlying districts.
It’s already too hot in the classrooms first thing in the morning, the staff representative emphasized. “And we mustn’t forget that sometimes there are as many as thirty students sitting in a single classroom. That naturally adds a bit more heat.” The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that it’s not possible to ventilate—and thus cool down—the schools overnight.
Curtains in schools apparently removed by the city
A major problem is the lack of shading options—and you can’t spend the whole day or every day outdoors, Rössler continued. Particularly disconcerting in this context is a report that reached ORF from MS Glasergasse 8 in Vienna’s Alsergrund district: A teacher described how, on Tuesday, the city had removed the curtains from the school building without prior notice.
Call for Shorter School Days
The teachers’ staff council at compulsory schools is now calling, on the one hand, for swift measures to help address the current crisis. One example cited is shortening the school day with parental consent. They are calling for amendments to the law governing school hours that would give schools more leeway. They emphasize that a debate about shortening summer vacation is, in any case, out of place.
At the same time, longer-term measures are needed—especially given that heat waves may occur earlier and earlier in the coming years. “These would have to be long-term projects, but they need to start now at the latest,” said Rössler. She advocated working with experts to explore how to make sensible investments in this area.
School ends at 12:00 p.m. at Kundmanngasse High School
Grading conferences are already taking place on Wednesday—so at least the pressure to perform will soon be off. Students at Kundmanngasse High School in Vienna’s Landstraße district are effectively getting a “heat day off,” as reported by “oe24.at”: On Thursday and Friday, students can be picked up as early as 12:00 p.m., just before the midday heat sets in.
I read the article but I am still not understanding Y is europe so hard hit by heat wave and are unable to cope with it?? This is like 3rd or 4th year in a row, I am seeing articles on how europe is struggling coz of heat
In India, its hard to cope coz of huge population and people hate to buy ACs but y is europe struggling just as much as India with it despite being developed.
https://youtu.be/nVo0GuNm3Ek?is=ynBhDcUi7sCs4ra5
This article shows how heat is becoming an increasingly serious problem in Austrian schools. It also highlights how heat protection is not merely a matter of comfort; in this case, the functionality of the education system is being compromised.
What is striking, however, is that public broadcasting in Austria makes no mention of the obvious solution: air conditioning. The lack of shading options is cited as the main problem. Then the discussion focuses solely on long-term investments. They simply don’t dare to say it. But how else is one supposed to deal with 39° heat?
This reluctance to even mention it.
Are you the pro-AC-jihad guy, OP? I just want to let you know that I love air conditioning and am with you in spirit.