Record breaking temperatures are causing problems in the classroom

Today’s temperature in the region has broken the old record from 97 years ago.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario is frustrated with the lack of air conditioning in schools across the province.

Peter Kimbell with Environment Canada says we are experiencing July like weather. “The record for this date would be 29.4, set in 1920.”

Communications Officer with the Waterloo District School Board, Nick Manning, says more than 100 of our 120 schools has more than a fifth of their building air conditioned. “We’ve got about 56 of those schools which are fully air conditioned. We’re confident that every single one of our schools has an area where there is air conditioning so our kids can cool down on very hot days.”

Manning says there is a sun, safety and shading policy in place for days like today.

ETFO Waterloo Region Vice President, Jeff Pelich, tells the Jennifer Campbell Show putting a law outlining the maximum temperature for these situations would help. “Teachers are calling us expressing their sheer frustration because there really isn’t anything they can do, unfortunately the Occupational Health and Safety Act doesn’t have an upper limit as far as the temperature that’s allowed in the workplace. It has a lower limit in the winter, which is fantastic.”

Pelich says senior homes will have an upper limit, but our schools don’t. “Putting that in there can help and give us some teeth to actually get some things to happen.”

PC Party Leader Patrick Brown has also called for a maximum heat limit to be set for schools.

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