German Schools Swelter as Bureaucracy and Budgets Halt Relief Efforts

Despite laws mandating heat protection, red tape and empty budgets leave Germany's schools sweltering at 40°C+ — a pattern echoed across Europe.

Inside classrooms across Germany, summer 2026 is pushing temperatures to 39 °C and beyond. Yet a tangle of liability rules and empty municipal coffers is blocking even basic relief.

The legal framework seems clear: Germany’s Workplace Ordinance (Arbeitsstättenverordnung) obliges employers to take protective measures once indoor temperatures exceed 30 °C. In schools, however, the employer is the state or municipality — and pinning down responsibility has become a nightmare.

The Fan That Wasn’t Allowed

A case in Baden-Württemberg illustrates the absurdity. In late June, with classroom heat topping 40 °C, a teacher placed her own electric fans in the room for the pupils. The school principal promptly e-mailed a ban. The reason: unapproved electrical devices contravene the Operational Safety Regulation (Betriebssicherheitsverordnung). If an accident occurred, nobody would assume liability.

The Education and Science Union (GEW) slammed the prohibition, noting the stark gap between what the law requires and what schools can actually deliver. The teacher herself expressed frustration at being blocked by red tape.

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Air Conditioning: A Luxury Too Costly

Baden-Württemberg now sees about 14 heat days a year — triple the historical average. Yet air conditioning remains the exception. Wiesloch’s mayor, Elkemann, rejected calls for full air-conditioning in mid-July, explaining that equipping every municipal building would cost between €15 million and €20 million. He said the city will first focus on daycare centres and a few critical rooms.

The same pattern repeats elsewhere. In Hesse, the opposition accused the state government of failing on heat protection, demanding dedicated programmes for cooling not only in schools but also in nursing homes.

Patchwork Solutions Instead of a Strategy

With no comprehensive technical fix in sight, individual schools are improvising. In Moers, measures include closing shutters, moving lessons to cellar rooms or outdoors, shortening class periods, and granting “heat-free” periods. Air conditioning and water misters have been ruled out.

Rhineland-Palatinate has issued no statewide rule for the start of the school year in mid-July; principals decide locally. Recommendations include adjusting physical education and allowing students to drink during lessons.

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Southern Europe Faces the Same Struggle

The problem is not uniquely German. In the Madrid region of Spain, state schools recorded indoor highs of 37 °C in July 2026. Unions describe conditions as unbearable. Madrid is the only Spanish region where public schools largely lack air conditioning. Parent associations are demanding not only technical cooling but also natural shade and tree planting on school grounds.