Alarming heat endangers lessons in Viennese schools! Heat protection now!

Alarming heat endangers lessons in Viennese schools! Heat protection now!

The rising temperatures in Austrian school rooms are currently causing increasing concern. An investigation by Greenpeace and the University of Natural Resources (BOKU) shows alarming results regarding the temperatures in Viennese classrooms. Measurements in the Maroltingergasse high school in the 16th district offer a worrying insight: since May 27th, temperatures above 27 degrees have been recorded over 25 days, and on up to 16 days the temperature during the lesson was even above 30 degrees. These extreme conditions not only endanger the health of the students, but also their ability to learn.

In the coming months, Greenpeace plans heat monitoring in Vienna to further document the situation. The organization calls for an immediate program from the federal government to adapt schools to the heat. This includes comprehensive renovations, external shading and modern ventilation systems. Herbert Formayer from the Boku emphasizes that the average temperature in Austria is now 3.1 degrees above the pre -industrial level. Most schools were built at times when heat -related problems were hardly taken into account in classrooms.

consequences for students and teachers

The director of the GRG 16 Maroltingergasse, Elisabeth Gutenberg, describes the difficulties that warm months bring with it. Overheated classrooms lead to health problems such as circulatory weakness among the students. The concentration also suffers from the high temperatures. Greenpeace representative Jasmin Duregger emphasizes: "High temperatures affect concentration and equal opportunities." In order to counteract this problem, additional budget and resources for heat protection measures in schools are urgently required.

For example, on June 13, 2025, a temperature of 28 degrees at 8 a.m. was measured, which increase to 32.5 degrees by evening. CO₂ values ​​even exceeded the critical mark of 1400 ppm, which underlines the need for ventilation measures. An understanding of the urgent need to make schools suitable for heat is also obvious in Germany. Deutsche Environmental Aid reports of an investment deficit of 46 billion euros in school renovation, which illustrates insufficient preparation for hot days in many schools.

student activism and demands for change

The situation is similar in many places. Students feel in Germany: Inside and teachers: Inside, looking for solutions for overheated classrooms often left alone. So students started: Inside a high school in Freiburg, a petition for more heat protection measures after their school, which was completed in 2009, suffers from extreme temperatures and high humidity. Other reports document temperatures above 30 degrees and complain that exams should not take place under such conditions. In Cologne, even more than 46 degrees were measured in the classroom, which led to the closure of the school.

The challenges that students are in front of: inside are in hot classrooms require urgent need for action on the part of politics in order to ensure adequate learning conditions. "Additional measures must be taken from 26 degrees, from 35 degrees the space is considered unsuitable for working," said the legal provisions. The demands for effective renovation measures and appropriate support from the public are getting louder.

Overall, it can be seen that the need for adaptation to the climate crisis in schools is a central topic that cannot be ignored. The health and education of future generations are at stake.

For more information and ongoing updates on this topic, interested parties can see the data from Greenpeace [here] (https://www.ots.at/presseaus-sung/ots_20250626_ots0004/greenpeace-warnt-hitze-macht-gutz-unertra- Untertra- HERE and to Hitzschutzmahnen from Bioenergier here