The UK's largest education union, the National Education Union (NEU), has called on the government to fit all schools with air conditioning units to prevent closures during extreme heat. The demand comes as temperatures are forecast to exceed 40°C in parts of England, with a rare red weather warning covering the south and Midlands.
On Wednesday, the previous June temperature record of 35.6°C from 1976 was broken when 36.1°C was recorded in Gosport, Hampshire. At least 1,000 schools have closed or partially closed due to the heat.
Union Letter to Education Secretary
In a letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede urged the government to set a timetable for equipping schools with air conditioning. He warned that at the current pace, the government's pledge to make schools fit for purpose would not be completed until 2246.
Kebede stated: “Every school closure this week is a direct consequence of successive governments failing to invest in the UK’s school estate. Many of our school buildings consist of either uninsulated Victorian structures or poorly insulated 1960s and 1970s system-built blocks.” He called for urgent investment to retrofit or upgrade buildings to adapt to climate change, improve energy efficiency, and transition to net zero.
Government Response
Phillipson urged parents to send children to school if they remain open, advising: “Pack a water bottle, put on the sunscreen, and trust that your child’s school has got this.” She noted that schools are relaxing uniform rules, keeping classrooms cool, ensuring hydration, teaching water safety, and avoiding vigorous activity on hot days.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Cobra meetings are taking place “at the official level” to coordinate the response across the UK. He added: “It is very hot and obviously schools will have to take the appropriate measures, and each school will gauge for themselves the measures that are appropriate.”
Impact on Disadvantaged Children
Kebede emphasized that closures disproportionately affect disadvantaged children in deprived urban areas. “For a child living in a high-rise tower block with no private garden or safe green space, the school environment is a vital lifeline. It is not just a place of learning, it is often their only consistent access to open air, physical exercise, and a safe outdoor environment,” he said.
Parent-Led Fundraising
In some areas, including London and Cumbria, parents have launched fundraisers to buy air conditioning units. One parent-teacher association raised over £3,500 in 16 hours for portable units, fans, and playground gazebos at Dulwich Hamlet Junior School in south London.
