A new round of debate over overheated classrooms has erupted in Spain’s capital region. Summer inspections revealed that temperatures in schools consistently exceed permissible limits. The labor inspectorate has demanded that the regional education ministry urgently prepare and implement a plan to improve the climate inside schools and preschools.
The issue is not new: for many years, unions and parents have raised concerns about unbearable heat in classrooms where children study. The problem became especially acute at the start of summer, when, during the first heat wave, a seven-year-old student was hospitalized showing signs of heatstroke after taking a physical education class under the open sun. At that time, there was not a single shaded area in the schoolyard.
The Comisiones Obreras union has been highlighting serious structural deficiencies and the lack of cooling systems in most of the region’s educational institutions for eight years. Despite numerous complaints, authorities have yet to provide safe conditions for students and teachers. This year, reports have come in from all territorial education offices and across different types of schools.
The Labor Inspectorate has once again recorded that in several schools, temperatures consistently exceed the limits established by royal decree: for regular classroom activities, the allowable range is from 17 to 27 degrees Celsius. The agency insists on the immediate installation of air conditioning and thermal insulation systems, as well as regular risk assessments during the hottest months. All results must be included in a special prevention plan with clearly defined deadlines, responsible parties, and allocated resources.
For the first time in a long while, Madrid authorities have officially acknowledged that heat in schools poses a health risk. In response, the government began purchasing air conditioners, but so far only for preschools, and by the end of the last academic year, the equipment still had not reached classrooms. Despite these positive developments, a full solution remains distant: every summer, children and teachers continue to suffer from the heat. Unions consider the current measures just the first step toward creating a safe educational environment.
