- It regularly gets really hot in Swiss school rooms.
- The teachers’ association is therefore calling for binding rules for dealing with heat in school buildings.
- The hottest school room in Switzerland is looking for 20 minutes – get in touch now!
A high pressure area is determining our weather, in the coming days the 30 degree limit will be broken in large parts of Switzerland on several consecutive days. This heat is not only dangerous for older people, it also makes school a torture in many places.
20 Minutes wants to cool down and is looking for the hottest school room in Switzerland.
How you participate
- Take a thermometer to school and place it in a place out of direct sunlight.
- Take a short video of the thermometer and the classroom and note the maximum temperature that was in the room during the school day.
- Send the video with the subject “Heat Challenge”. redaktion@20minuten.ch with information about where and when the video was recorded and what maximum temperature was measured.
20 Minutes will look through the videos, choose the hottest schoolroom in Switzerland – and come to your place to cool you down. Submissions will be accepted until Monday, June 22nd at 2 p.m.
Heat isn’t just annoying
Heat in the classroom is not only annoying, it also reduces performance. Because many school buildings in Switzerland are not adequately prepared for the summer heat, the umbrella association of teachers called for a 3-stage model at the end of May:
- Classes should take place as usual up to 26 degrees.
- At 26 to 30 degrees, schools would have to make organizational adjustments, such as moving lessons to cooler basement rooms.
- If the temperature rises above 30 degrees, regular lessons should no longer take place. The association cites lessons in cooler places such as the forest as a possible alternative.
The heat in school buildings is also a recurring political issue. In the city of Zurich, for example, the city council approved a proposal by the Greens just a few days ago. The city now has two years to present measures to combat the heat in Zurich school buildings.
Daniel Graf (dgr) has been working for 20 minutes since 2020. He is head of the New department and has been a member of the editorial board since September 2023.
