More than 760,000 pupils in England and Wales missed school during the UK's June heatwave, resulting in at least 15 million hours of lost teaching time.
The figures, contained in a new study by DeSmog, highlight the growing impact of extreme heat on schools, with more than 1,700 forced either to close completely or shorten their hours during the eight-day heatwave.
In some classrooms, temperatures exceeded 40C, with teachers reporting pupils and staff suffering from headaches, nausea and heat stress. In several cases, parents kept children at home because they considered schools unsafe.
Poorer communities suffering more
The disruption was particularly significant in poorer communities, where schools often provide services extending beyond education, including meals and social support.
Researchers warn that repeated closures could have consequences extending beyond missed lessons, affecting pupils' academic performance, wellbeing and mental health.
The June heatwave was one of five recorded in the UK this summer and triggered a red health alert across large parts of the country. Nearly 2,900 excess deaths were attributed to the May and June heatwaves.
The findings are also raising questions about the ability of the UK's school infrastructure to cope with a warming climate. While the Department for Education said schools had managed the crisis well and pointed to more than £20bn in investment in school infrastructure, teachers and researchers argue that more urgent action is needed.
The problem is no longer simply whether schools can remain open during extreme heat. It is whether classrooms can remain safe places in which children can actually learn.
Source: The Guardian
