French -speaking Switzerland: the heat wave turned back to school

While Switzerland cooks under temperatures sometimes exceeding 35 degreessome children have already returned to school. This is the case in German Switzerland, where the students returned to school this Monday. To protect them from heat, the cantons take more or less restrictive measures. But in the long term, it is a whole teaching model that must be redesigned. How to adapt the teaching to global warming?

In the canton of Bern, where courses have already started, the posture is quite wait -and -see. Contacted, the authorities indicate that there is no specific settlement for schools during the heat wave. “The law does not provide for a compulsory temperature upper limit from which the courses are suspended,” says Yves Brechbühler, spokesperson for the Public Instruction Department. School departments are therefore invited to react independently to each situation and to choose the forms of education that take into account high temperatures. ”

1p and 2p exempt from lessons because of the heat wave

He also argues that several reflexes have already proven themselves to reduce the temperature, such as airing classrooms, avoid physical activity during the day, or “teach in a flexible way, for example by organizing outdoor lessons”.

But while climate disruption intensifies, shouldn’t we take long-term measures, like shifting the start of the school year later? In the south of Europe, Italy and even Spain have already taken the plunge, since the students resume in September. But Bern is not expressed on this point.

The cantons of Basel-Ville and Basel-Campagne, they considered at the beginning of the summer of Take the resumption of coursesto finally maintain August 11 as a return date. As for Ticino, its return to school traditionally took place in early September.

On the French side, we take things a little more in hand. Geneva, for example, provides lessons from courses when the thermometer rises too high. “During the activation phase of the heat wave, the children of 1p and 2p are exempt from school, details Constance Chaix, responsible for information in the public education department (DIP). For students of 3p and up to secondary II, the measures are taken on a case -by -case basis in each establishment depending on the temperature in the buildings. ”

Back to school rejected in 2027 in Geneva

This heat wave cell is launched as soon as the average temperatures exceed 25 degrees over five consecutive days, or if they go up above 27 degrees three days in a row.

And since the heat is brought to increase in the coming years, the authorities at the end of the lake have decided to repel the start of the school year. From 2027, the summer holidays will be extended for a few days. The resumption of lessons will take place on the third Thursday in August, that is to say three days later.

On the Vaud side, a similar system was created. Three alert levels ranging from yellow to red, via orange, have been made, with various recommendations each time. But unlike Geneva, the canton of Vaud recovers to the directions of the establishments to decide any schedule arrangements. A guide was also published. On the other hand, there is no question of shifting the start of the school year or sustainably modifying the hours of the courses.

“With this guide intended for the teaching staff, we encourage the directions to pay attention to vulnerable people and to consider as much as possible to do the outside lessons as well as to ventilate during the night,” explains Lionel Éperon, director general of post -government teaching.

He specifies that this is a means to alleviate the inconvenience of the heat wave, but that it does not solve them entirely. “If we had a magic potion, we would be happy, like other European countries elsewhere,” he quips.

Change school buildings

For the time being, there is no coordination between the cantons to combat the rise in temperatures at school. But the Confederation launched in 2022 a pilot project entitled “It heats up in schools”, in collaboration with the Bio-Eco company. Objective: Understanding the factors aggravating heat in school buildings and aware of the teaching staff as well as students about this problem.

The conclusions of this study demonstrate that the major factor raising mercury in classrooms is insufficient shade. “Mercury exceeded 26 degrees at times in all types of building. These high temperatures limited the concentration and productivity of students, who felt tired and inconvenienced, ”note the researchers.

The findings also made it possible to develop a “case”, a counseling kit for teachers and students. For example, it is suggested to ventilate the classes at night, to close the blinds during the day or to avoid physical activities in the afternoon.

With the intensification of climate change, the recommendations of experts are led to evolve. “We are updating the case and adding new elements,” says Nelia Franchina, project coordinator at Bio-Eco.

Because so far, the emphasis has mainly been placed on awareness. From now on, the question of the redevelopment of schools arises: “We have planned to add elements in the case to set up a turnkey participatory approach in schools in the event of a school courtyard redevelopment and to ensure that the matter of hot weather is taken into account.”

Among the few recommendations, the pilot project recommends vegetating the roofs and facades of school buildings, multiplying trees in playgrounds, or adding fountains in each school.

And some municipalities have already taken the plunge to counter the effects of global warming: “For example, the municipality of Préverenges (VD) planted trees in front of the windows of its school”, illustrates Nelia Franchina.

Did you find an error? Please report it to us.

0 comments