MEDIA RELEASE - WESTERN SYDNEY SCHOOLS SWELTER WITHOUT AIR-CONDITIONING - 28 FEBRUARY 2018

28 February 2018

According to the Bureau of Meteorology’s Annual Climate Summary, 2017 marked the hottest year ever in NSW since records began in 1910.

Temperatures in Western Sydney have been soaring over the spring and summer months, and yet many local classrooms are still without air-conditioning.

In our local schools, many students are still enduring the heat in classrooms without air-conditioning. High temperatures, which can exceed 40 degrees, make both learning and teaching more difficult in the classroom.

During periods of high heat, teachers are required to adjust their learning programs to take account of high temperatures. However, there is little teachers can do to cool down their classrooms, which swelter during sustained heatwaves, impacting on the ability of students reaching their academic potential.   

“Teachers and parents have raised with me their concerns about children sweltering in the heat in old classrooms which have still have no air-conditioning”, Federal Member for Greenway, Michelle Rowland said.

“I have raised these serious concerns directly with the NSW Minister for Education, The Hon. Rob Stokes MP. Unfortunately, in a response from his Parliamentary Secretary, Gareth Ward MP, the Liberal Government refused to comment directly on when schools in Greenway will be eligible for air-conditioning.

“It is high time local Liberal MP’s Mark Taylor and Kevin Connolly heed the concerns of the community and stand up to the Minister, demanding he address this pressing issue for local students, parents and teachers

“It’s crucial that the State Liberal Government acts now so that local students do not have to face another summer in sweltering classrooms,” Ms Rowland said.