Thirty-Two Point Two

When the heatwave hit Luxembourg this week, the conversation quickly turned to whether schools should stay open. On Friday, many municipalities made attendance non-compulsory, offering childcare under teacher supervision instead of regular lessons. The reasoning was simple: with outdoor temperatures heading toward 40°C, concentrating on learning was deemed impossible.[1]

The Education Minister explained that the decision fell to local councils, not the ministry, because municipalities are better positioned to assess their own school buildings. He also noted that the government did not want to mandate closures, as this would impact the country's workforce. Parents still need to work, and someone has to watch the children.[2]

But the real question is not whether to close schools during a heatwave. It is why school buildings are so poorly equipped in the first place.

The Education and Science Syndicate (SEW), part of the OGBL trade union confederation, asked its members to report classroom temperatures on Friday morning. By 5pm, 967 teachers had responded. The results were stark: the average classroom temperature was 32.21°C. Eighty-one percent of respondents said their classroom measured between 30 and 35°C. Only 11% reported temperatures below 30°C.[3]

The union's conclusion was direct: classrooms "were not sufficiently equipped to guarantee a safe and healthy working environment." The demand is for schools to be adapted without delay to cope with extreme heat.

The problem is structural. Primary schools are the responsibility of municipalities, not the Education Ministry. Each local authority manages its own buildings, which means equipment varies wildly. Some schools are modern, with insulation and ventilation systems. Others were built a century ago. A national politician pointed out that this fragmented governance means there is no uniform standard for what a classroom should look like in 2026, let alone what it should do during a heatwave.[2]

Secondary schools face the same disparity. A building constructed in the 1920s and one built in the 2020s are held to the same expectations, but they are not playing on the same field. The teachers' survey makes that visible.

What makes this harder is that heatwaves are no longer exceptional. The Red Cross, the army, and volunteer firefighters have all been mobilised. Emergency call-outs are up 30% week-on-week. The national meteorological service has issued red alerts. This is the second summer in a row where extreme heat has disrupted daily life, and the trend is clear: this is becoming normal.[4]

If 32.2°C is the average classroom temperature during a heatwave, and heatwaves are becoming routine, then the question is not whether to close schools on the hottest days. It is whether the buildings where children spend their days are fit for the climate they are growing up in.

The union has the data. The municipalities have the responsibility. The ministry has the political authority. Whether any of them act before the next heatwave is the real test.