MÉS for Palma denounces that the school year will start with classrooms at more than 30 degrees
The formation accuses the PP government of ignoring the effects of the climate emergency in public educational centers and demands an emergency plan against the heat
PalmaMÉS per Palma denounced this Monday that the new school year will begin with climate control problems in several public educational centers in the city and has accused the PP government of "abandonment" in the face of the effects of the climate emergency. The party claims that last school year, temperatures of up to 31 degrees were recorded inside some classrooms.
Councilor David Pujol and Kika Coll have warned that the heat affects both the students and the professionals in the centers and have demanded immediate actions. Pujol, a teacher by profession, has remarked that this is not a question of comfort, but of the conditions in which educational activity takes place.
"I know what happens when you try to teach a class at 30 or 31 degrees inside a classroom. It is harder to concentrate, fatigue increases, performance drops, and irritability, discomfort, headaches, and exhaustion appear," he pointed out. According to MÉS, centers such as CEIP Aina Moll, CEIP Marià Aguiló, CEIP Maria Antònia Salvà in Son Sardina, and CEIP de Pràctiques need urgent actions after three years, according to the party, of promises from the PP.
An emergency plan against the heat
MÉS per Palma has demanded from Cort an emergency plan against the heat to be applied to all public centers in the city. Among the measures proposed are reviewing doors, shutters, and windows to improve building insulation, ensuring fans in classrooms that need them, and installing awnings and shaded areas in playgrounds.
"There are measures that do not need big announcements or three years of studies. Just political will and getting to work," stated Coll. The party also demands a "more ambitious" air conditioning plan from the Department of Education, with a schedule of actions and a concrete budget.
MÉS considers the plan announced by the Balearic Government, which plans to air-condition 16 educational centers on the Islands, to be insufficient. "It is ridiculous and offensive to present as a great milestone a plan that only provides for air conditioning in 16 centers across all the islands, when Palma alone has more than 70 public education centers," criticized Coll.
Criticism of the Mayor of Palma
The party has also directed its criticisms at the mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez. Pujol asked to know "what the mayor thinks when there are children and teachers in class at over 30 degrees" and whether he considers this situation normal or if, on the contrary, "this problem does not fall within his priorities".
MÉS has argued that Cort cannot disassociate itself from the problem by claiming that educational powers correspond to other administrations. "Martínez governs Palma and cannot look the other way or hide behind the powers of other administrations," the party maintained.
