As sweltering temperatures sweep across France, prompting widespread red alerts and school closures, education unions have issued a stark warning to teachers: strike now or risk compromising their health and that of their students. With record-breaking highs reaching 40C in some classrooms, the usually staid world of French secondary education is being thrown into chaos by the effects of climate change.
A joint statement from several teaching unions on Thursday denounced a 'blatant lack of preparation' by the French government to mitigate the heatwave's impact. They argue that the health and safety of staff and pupils are being put at significant risk, suggesting that individual teachers should strike wherever and whenever they deem it necessary. The unions' concerns highlight the struggle France faces in adapting its often poorly insulated school buildings, many of which lack air-conditioning and were not designed to withstand such extreme temperatures.
Despite the heatwave's severity, the education minister, Édouard Geffray, has confirmed that the 'brevet' exams for over 850,000 15-year-olds will proceed as planned from Friday. Geffray outlined measures to mitigate the heat, including scheduling exams for mornings only, increasing desk spacing, providing water, and allowing students to take breaks and leave their desks to cool down. He stated that it was preferable for students to take exams now rather than face postponement until September.
The current heatwave has already seen high school students undertaking their critical baccalaureate oral exams, with reports of some students and examiners feeling faint and requiring medical attention from school nurses. Parents in Paris have noted that for many children living in equally overheated homes, the school environment, even with its challenges, might be a safer option. Geffray echoed this sentiment, suggesting that a school at 30C could be preferable to a home at 40C, necessitating adaptations to school activities rather than complete closures.
Authorities have already closed 3,500 schools deemed too hot and reduced hours at a further 10,000. In response to the immediate crisis, the Île-de-France region has allocated emergency funding of €1 million (approximately £860,000) to assist high-school exam centres in purchasing fans and cooling equipment. Looking ahead, Geffray indicated that from next summer, all national exams would be moved to morning slots. However, unions are advocating for a comprehensive overhaul of school infrastructure and exam scheduling to effectively manage increasingly early and intense heatwaves.
The situation underscores the broader challenge faced by European nations in adapting public infrastructure to the escalating impacts of climate change and more frequent extreme weather events. The debate around exam conditions in high temperatures is likely to continue as countries grapple with balancing academic rigour with safety, raising questions about how the UK can learn from France's predicament.