UK schools need retrofitting and exam schedule review to combat extreme heat, says union leader

Kebede stated that repeated extreme heat this summer had a "devastating impact" on teachers and pupils, with classroom temperatures exceeding 40C and leading to hundreds of thousands of students being sent home. He called on the government to implement a large-scale retrofitting program to better equip schools, many of which were built for a different climate and are now struggling with rising temperatures.

He suggested that a national conversation should take place about adapting to a warming climate, including potentially altering school year structures, extending summer holidays, adjusting daily start and finish times, and moving exams away from the hottest parts of the year. Kebede noted that he received numerous messages from distressed teachers during the heatwaves, comparing the level of panic to that experienced during the Covid pandemic.

During a June heatwave, at least 760,000 schoolchildren in England and Wales missed lessons, equating to one in five UK pupils over a few months, resulting in over 15 million hours of lost instruction time. Teachers reported that learning became nearly impossible, with significant deterioration in pupil behavior and attention. The severe heat this summer also affected other parts of Europe, with student protesters in France demanding action to make classrooms bearable.

Kebede warned that the impact of extreme weather disproportionately affects disadvantaged communities, as children in these areas often return to homes unsuited for heat and to parents unable to take time off work. He highlighted that many UK schools, whether old Victorian buildings or those from the 1960s and 1970s, are not designed to handle the extreme heat expected in future summers. He emphasized the need for immediate planning, as the conditions experienced this summer are likely to become the norm.