Exposure to extreme and prolonged heat can negatively impact academic performance as well as health, according to a recent report from children’s health advocates. Yet a number of schools in Guelph and the surrounding area are without air conditioning.
That’s why the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) and its partners are calling for action to protect children from extreme heat in schools and childcare settings across the country.
According to data from the federal government, the temperature throughout June 2024 hovered just under 30 C, with two days spiking above 31 C.
At the same time, there are 10 schools within the Upper Grand District that lack any air conditioning facilities.
In Guelph and Wellington County, those schools include the following public elementary schools:
- Brant Ave PS
- Central PS
- Fred A Hamilton PS
- Priory Park PS
- Westwood PS
- Victory PS
- Ross R. MacKay PS
- James McQueen PS
- Kenilworth PS
That’s not to say the remainder are fully air conditioned.
Of the 77 schools in UGDSB, only 36 schools have cooling capabilities throughout the entire school, communications manager Heather Loney said, while another 15 schools have about 80 per cent of the site with cooling capabilities.
All schools in the Wellington Catholic District School Board have air conditioning.
Parents at Priory Park shared their concerns regarding the lack of air conditioning last year, believing cooling infrastructure to be necessary to mitigate the impact of frequent heat waves.
One Mitchell Woods Public School parent said students are encouraged to sit on the floor to cool off where there isn’t AC.
Communications manager Heather Loney, however, explained the infrastructure of the older schools was not built to support air conditioning.
The board is exploring options for these schools, including installing heat pump technology when the HVAC systems need to be replaced.
But to fully implement air conditioning at each school “requires significant planning both structurally and financially,” she said.
Which is where the CPCHE call to action comes in.
The campaign has a number of demands from all levels of government to provide the resources needed to make these investments.
The first step is for the federal government to set a maximum temperature threshold of 26C in learning environments – the recommended upper limit for indoor temperatures.
Other actions include investing in building retrofits to support climate resiliency, equipping educational settings with the means to implement other temperature controlling measures like window shades, and more.
“Our decision to focus on heat this year really stemmed from concerns that we are hearing from parents, from educators, from public health officials who are responsible for safeguarding communities in the face of escalating climate-related health risks,” said executive director Erica Phipps.
“Also simply the fact that last year was the hottest year on record, and this year is shaping up to be similarly hot,” she said. “We’re concerned about kids’ health. Overexposure to extreme heat is a medical emergency.”
But heat can also interfere with the ability to learn.
New research shows exposure to extreme heat, or prolonged elevated temperatures, affects kids' brains.
“It affects cognition, memory. It can contribute to irritability and other behavioural issues. It also impacts attendance – if it’s too hot, kids aren’t going to want to be there. Parents may opt to keep them home.”
While some might argue the investments aren’t needed and students should just tough it out as was done years before, she said:
The heat students endure in schools now is not comparable to years prior, she said, “because that was a different climate reality.”
Children are at increased risk of heat-related illness because their bodies have limited ability to acclimatize to heat, their sweating rates are lower than adults and their high metabolism increases the risk of dehydration, the report says.
It also notes health-related risks are not limited to extreme heat days – that even temperatures not considered “extremely hot” have been associated with higher rates of ER visits for children.
While data is limited on the impacts of heat on education, one study from the U.S. showed a 4.5 per cent reduction in performance on an exam taken on a 32.2 degree day compared to 21.1 degrees, the report says.
Researchers also found “following a $1.4 billion investment in heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades in a U.S. school… students’ reading scores drastically improved.”
Schools without AC can exceed 26 during extreme heat events – a persistent heat students are spending six to eight hours each day in.
“Imagine sitting in a hot classroom all day. Some kids get to go home to AC; other kids go home to a crowded, overheated apartment building and have no respite,” she said.
As such, they see the investments as being “imperative.”
She said she’s happy to hear UGDSB intends to shift to heat pumps when existing infrastructure reaches its end of life.
“As we try to solve this problem, we shouldn’t be contributing to the underlying problem, which is over-reliance on fossil fuels,” she said, adding heat pumps are a beneficial investment because they are an efficient heating and cooling source that can be used year-round.
“I think it’s a mistake to think we’re only making this investment just because of those handful of hot days in June and September. Truly, these upgrades are going to have wide-reaching benefits, including indoor air quality,” she said.
In the meantime, there are a number of other measures schools can take in responding to extreme heat. For instance, using blinds and other types of window coverings to reduce incoming solar radiation, using fans and other forms of ventilation, and ensuring windows are open in the cooler hours but closed when it gets hotter.
There are outdoor measures too, including coloured roofs (designed to reflect more sunlight, keeping the building cooler), shade or tree canopies, and other vegetation that provides natural cooling.
“We are seeing record-breaking temperatures. Last year broke all the records; this year is on track to be similar. Things will only get more extreme as the climate crisis worsens," she said.
“Schools are juggling a lot of issues. They really do need support for tracking and measuring and making sure that investments are going where they’re most needed.”
