RIVM issues smog warning for the coming days, air quality will be ‘poor’

“Common sense first,” Marjo Dethmers, interim director of the public primary school Ixieje in Moordrecht, repeats as a mantra on the telephone opposite NRC. Ixieje shares a complex consisting of several buildings with two other primary schools, “competition colleagues” as Dethmers calls them. In consultation with each other and with its own participation council, the school has opted for a so-called ‘tropical schedule’ during the hottest days of this week.

Ixieje primary school has the short end of the stick in terms of temperature of the three schools. They are in the smallest and lowest school building, do not have sunshades, have few ventilation options and a flat roof. The school has emailed parents. Anyone who has a spare fan or air conditioner at home is welcome to bring it to school.

While the other schools in the complex will not use a tropical schedule until later this week, Dethmers decided that the adjusted class schedule for Ixieje will apply from Tuesday. Until Friday, the children are free at 12 noon. Whether the gym classes continue depends on how warm it is at that time. If the children really cannot go home, they will be cared for at school, which schools are obliged to do. Extra sunscreen is provided at Ixieje. Director Dethmers also plans extra moments to let the children drink water.

Schools decide for themselves

Schools decide for themselves whether or not to introduce a tropical schedule. The temperature is allowed according to occupational health and safety legislation pose ‘no danger’ to the health of pupils and teachers, but there is no legally agreed maximum temperature. For example, schools can use shorter teaching days or teaching hours, start the school day earlier, or give children more frequent breaks. However, schools must adhere to the minimum number of teaching hours that are mandatory per school year.

According to the director of Ixieje primary school, this is generally not a problem. Schools often build up “margin hours” during the year with extra teaching time, she explains. “In principle, you should have those hours, for example, if the king dies, that you can then release. But if they have already been used up earlier in the year, then it becomes difficult.”

“I really think this will be a problem in the future,” says Dethmers, “I am not a climate denier.” For example, she believes that the summer holidays in more southern countries, where students are given longer time off, should be looked at. She believes that high temperatures must be taken into account in new construction. “But the future of existing schools also needs to be considered.”

Not all schools experience problems due to the high temperatures. For example, De Heydonck in Best has had good climate control since the renovation “with the luxury of air conditioning and… screens“, says director Marleen Lammers. The toddlers’ outdoor play times are shifted to the morning, children are allowed to have water on their table – but the teaching week continues without major adjustments.