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A teaching union in Scotland is urging the government to set an upper limit for temperature in schools.
Currently, Scottish schools follow the temperature regulations set for workplaces. However, these regulations require only the minimum temperature, which is set at 13 to 16 degrees Celsius. The Health and Safety Executive, the organization in charge of ensuring the health and safety of the workforce, said that there is no maximum temperature because workplaces like foundries require warmer atmospheres.
However, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), the oldest and largest teaching union in the country, believes that an upper limit must still be established.
EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan stressed that extremely high temperature may hinder learning among students, as it causes fatigue, lack of energy, and loss of concentration. He also added that the same effects may also be observed among school employees.
Concerns on classroom temperature are not entirely new. In 2011, an online journal published a study involving students from the ages of 10 to 12. The results showed that the participants got higher test scores when the temperature dropped from 25 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius.
On another note, the EIS is not the only union calling for a maximum temperature in classrooms. The National Education Union (NEU), which supports teachers and schools across the United Kingdom, has also put forward the same request to the UK government.
The NEU recommends that the acceptable maximum temperature should be set at 26 degrees Celsius. Temperatures beyond this suggestion may already be considered too hot and too uncomfortable for children and staff.