French Schools Report Overheated Classrooms During May Heatwave

M. at Lycée Déodat-de-Séverac in Toulouse. Teachers at multiple primary, middle, and high schools reported that classrooms lacked exterior blinds and remained sealed during peak sun exposure. Amélie Pacaud, a middle-school teacher in the Paris suburbs, said her classroom of 29 students had no exterior blinds on its southern façade.

Students lined up at bathroom sinks for water and received fans that circulated hot air, she stated. Pacaud reported that students complained of headaches, some felt faint or vomited, and nearly all appeared listless. She added that instruction had shifted to simply enduring the conditions.

Météo-France placed 17 departments in western France and the Paris region on orange alert for extreme heat on May 28. The alert coincided with the period when all students from pre-school through high school remained in session. Nearly 200,000 candidates for the vocational high school diploma began written examinations on the same day.

The Ministry of Education issued guidelines to schools but did not order widespread closures or exam postponements. Education professionals stated that local authorities, responsible for school buildings, and the Education Ministry, responsible for student and staff safety, had not responded with additional measures in recent years.