by Melissa Markwell
When I first read the Mission Statement for the Upper Canada District School Board, I actually had to re-read it again. A part of me inside laughed begrudgingly. If there stood truth behind their statement, they wouldn’t be throwing their hands up at every conversation discussing health and education concerns and instead trying to brainstorm alternative options.
I first spoke with our Principal at Nationview Public School in May. On May 22, the humidex was 37C. I drove by the school the next day, and noticed that shade options were extremely limited besides 3 ft off one tree outside a fence and along the back wall of the school – a hot brick wall. I emailed my concerns to the principal with very little problem solving, “our kindness crew planted new seedlings.” A wonderful long-term solution, but what was going to be the short term solution? There is no air conditioning inside the school, so the children go from a hot interior to a hot scorching exterior without shade coverage – where is the reprieve to cool their bodies and to regulate their temperatures and prevent heat stress, exhaustion, or stroke? Oh wait, alternatively the next solution was to open the hot gym at recess.
Beyond this conversation, the tables turned to addressing the interior concerns. The increasing internal temperatures of the classrooms – especially the classrooms in the middle of the school with absolutely no windows. With proper air conditioning being a long way away, I asked about parent Council donating portable A/C units. A call to a Superintendent of the UCDSB was brash, and truthfully very dismissive of any brainstorming or actual accountability. She explained that portable A/C is not approved because it makes it difficult to secure the building at night. But then why does the principal’s office have one? I think a cooling place, be it small, is absolutely a positive asset to the school. What troubles me is the hypocrisy. Some principals seem to get preferential treatment.
Teachers chose their career to educate. The teachers my children have at Nationview and the ones I know through volunteering or other contact within the school have all been incredible. They go above and beyond to give the kids a memorable educational experience. Teachers should not be expected to monitor the health concerns of 20+ students in their class. I inquired to the Superintendent if we could come up with a solution for portable air conditioners to still secure the building at night but she wouldn’t even explore the idea. “I can’t ask my teachers to do that,” she said. Though she never asked the teachers whether they would be willing to do this to help keep their students safe and comfortable and ultimately for their own health as well, which I’m sure they would.
During last week’s heat wave, parents collaborated in buying a freezer and donating freezies. I was informed this was brought up at a parent council meeting two weeks ago but “tabled” for the fall due to the little time left until the end of the year, and a question of electrical outlet capacity – a freezer requiring a simple household outlet! A little too late, but after advocation on Tuesday, we had donations collected, a brand new freezer purchased, installed, stocked, and operating within four hours thanks to our amazing community of parents. Ultimately though, without such a late installation because of a lack of willingness to allow it, it could have supported the children during the heat wave with much more ease than experienced.
One afternoon while handing out freezies at recess, I observed two kids who came to the office ill within 20 minutes of me being on the premises. Even staff members came to seek relief from a cold freezie. How many students went to the office and/or went home during the heat wave with full clear indications of heat exhaustion?
The EOHU says that “fortunately, heat-related illnesses are preventable.” Are they? They are not at Nationview and what I can imagine is many of the schools within the UCDSB.
These increasing temperatures are not going away, as they have already been increasing for many years and leading to hotter and earlier springs and falls. The Ministry of Education and School Board need to address this and come up with a plan for the retrofitting and improving existing schools, a goal which is specifically stated on the Ministry of Education website. They pride themselves on providing quality education, but is quality education turning down the lights with kids sitting in front of fans or sweating while they lay their heads on their desks?
What is it going to take for the school board to act? Will it be at the cost of a child admitted to hospital or worse, death? Heat exhaustion and stroke is not to be taken lightly. Children do not regulate their temperature like adults, they do not have fully developed sweat glands like adults, and they ultimately do not remind themselves as frequently as adults to hydrate… even with our amazing teachers trying to remind them. When will the School Board and Ministry of Education finally step up and fulfil their roles? I implore these government bodies to step up and do the job that taxpayers pay them for!
