health
Unions urge teachers to strike as French school exams go ahead in up to 40C heat
Claims health of staff and children at risk as France struggles to adapt heat-trap school buildings
TL;DR
- Teachers in France are risking their health and students' in overheated schools during a severe heatwave.
- Education unions are urging staff to strike over "unacceptable working conditions" and a "blatant lack of preparation" by the government.
- Classroom temperatures have reached up to 40C, with many school buildings not designed for extreme heat and lacking air-conditioning.
- Authorities have closed thousands of schools and reduced hours at others, but national exams are proceeding.
- The education minister, Édouard Geffray, stated that exams will be held in the mornings with adaptations to manage the heat, prioritizing continuation over postponement.
- Some students and examiners have felt faint during oral exams, and students report difficulty revising in overheated homes.
- Emergency funding is being provided in some regions for cooling equipment, and some parents believe school is safer than hot homes.
- Unions are calling for a complete overhaul of school buildings and exam scheduling to address the increasing threat of heatwaves.