Classrooms at 30 degrees and fear of heat stroke: families demand solutions

BarcelonaCan classes be held in 30-degree temperatures? The question that an AFA (Association of Pediatricians) posted on social media a few days ago is answered by Dr. Sebastià González, coordinator of pediatric emergencies at Vall d'Hebron Hospital: "It's not medically prescribed, but it's obvious that a comfortable situation must be sought." The problems with air conditioning and the complications they cause in the midst of a heat wave are affecting schools and colleges across the country, but are of greater concern to daycare centers, where the school year extends beyond June.

"Our classrooms are at 28 degrees Celsius, and with the hot air expelled by the penguins, the temperature outside has risen to 37 degrees Celsius in the shade," say AFA sources at the Barcelona Alchemika daycare center. A two-year-old boy has been found at this center whose heat stroke wasn't severe, and several cases of skin rashes caused by sweat. In this regard, González points out that children are especially vulnerable to heat stroke, which can cause fever, headache, vomiting, and in some cases, loss of consciousness. However, she insists that "it's very easy to prevent, and if it occurs, you have to act very quickly": by placing the child in the shade and wetting them with cloths or compresses soaked in cold water.

This daycare center is open until July 31, including the summer camp dates, and the AFA is concerned because there are still many weeks ahead when the heat could even increase. "The City Council hasn't fixed the air conditioning for years. They promise to fix it every year, but then they don't do it," added the AFA, explaining that after an initial media complaint, the council brought penguins to the school, but "with the heat wave, they're not solving anything." The situation prompted a visit to the school by the ombudsman, and while the Barcelona Municipal Institute of Education The Ministry of Education (IMEB) has assured that the air conditioning will be repaired; the AFA (Association of Education and Culture) criticizes the lack of a budget or timeline for this.

For its part, municipal sources indicate that "a contract is being processed to develop a repair project for the fault" at the nursery and "to resolve all incidents that occur in schools with air conditioning units." While the repairs are not being finalized, the IMEB (Spanish Association of Education and Culture) "has provided schools experiencing issues with temporary and portable equipment, such as penguins and fans, which are working satisfactorily in the schools' classrooms," the council adds.

Jammed blinds

Another family association that has spoken out is that of the Barcelona Galatea daycare center. The air conditioning isn't working, and since last September, neither have the blinds—they're electric—so lowering them to keep the sun out isn't an option the girl can manage. They're irritable all day long. She adds that not being able to move the blinds also poses a safety issue because one of the emergency exits, which would allow evacuation from the classroom to the playground, is blocked.

The Galatea nursery school alerted the IMEB (Spanish Institute of Education) about problems with the air conditioning and blinds, but with just a few days left until the end of the school year, they say they have received no response beyond confirmation that the message had been received. At this point, several families have offered to repair the blinds and air conditioning, but given that the school is publicly owned, the administration has rejected the proposal.

City Council sources assure that Barcelona's 105 municipal daycare centers have "always been air-conditioned, with cold-air systems and heating for the winter months." They insist that the IMEB regularly maintains the air-conditioning systems, although they admit that "on rare occasions, breakdowns may occur that require specific repair work." In the case of the Galatea nursery, they attribute this to "a single room where one of the air conditioning units isn't working," adding that this is one of the centers where they plan to replace the entire air conditioning system during the summer holidays. In the meantime, they plan to send a penguin to this room.

Trouble concentrating

In school and high school classrooms, the heat also has an impact on learning. "In the classrooms, temperatures reach 30°C, and the children are tired and don't perform," says Anna Busquets, director of the Institut Escola Pallerola. Following the recommendations of the Department of Education, at this school in Sant Celoni, they usually lower the blinds at midday to keep the sun out, and they also often change classrooms or go down to the courtyard to take advantage of the shade from the trees. "We look for activities to teach reading and drawing, but they don't perform as well as in the classroom," Busquets laments.

After reporting the situation to Sant Celoni City Hall, the council has agreed to install large fans on the ceiling, and "the forecast is that they will be installed by September, but they haven't confirmed it," says Busquets. The solution of installing fans is the same one that Educació has given to other schools in Catalonia, but it's not the ideal response, according to Lidón Gasull, director of the Federated Associations of Families of Students of Catalonia (aFFaC). "All the fan does is move the air, but it moves hot air; it has no impact on lowering the temperature," she criticizes. She adds that "the real heat hasn't arrived yet."