Canaries Faces Heatwave Amid Education Infrastructure Concerns

The current heatwave gripping the Canary Islands has prompted red and orange weather warnings, with temperatures reaching up to 37 ºC in Gran Canaria. This situation inevitably brings to mind October 2023, when the Ministry of Education suspended classes across the Archipelago due to high temperatures. Two years on, the debate intensifies: has enough been done to prevent a recurrence?

Union Concerns

The STEC-IC union believes not. Its spokesperson, Gerardo Rodríguez, acknowledges that the protocol approved in 2024 “looks good on paper,” but insists it fails to address the underlying issues. He explains that the measures implemented thus far are merely temporary fixes unless accompanied by genuine transformations of school infrastructures. They are calling for shaded playgrounds and corridors, thermal insulation in classrooms, guaranteed cross-ventilation, and expanded green spaces, including school gardens that also serve as pedagogical resources.

Rodríguez warns that “overcrowded classrooms without ventilation turn into greenhouses,” and that in conditions like those experienced this week, the environment becomes “practically unbearable.” In his view, the health of the educational community should be the top priority and cannot be solely reliant on a protocol.

Defending Actions Taken

Meanwhile, authorities from the Ministry of Education defend that significant steps have been taken over the past two school years. According to data provided by sources within the Ministry, over €9.3 million has been invested in RAM (Reform, Extension, and Improvement) works across a hundred schools, in addition to €1.5 million for shaded areas and about €700,000 for school furniture. This is complemented by a comprehensive plan for 160 centres, with a budget of €6.8 million aimed at creating climate shelters and shaded areas to mitigate high-temperature episodes.

The Ministry also emphasises that the Strategic Plan for Educational Infrastructure 2024-2035 allocates €235 million for around fifty projects throughout the Canaries, while the Emergency Plan in southern Tenerife (2024-2031) will channel €85 million for the construction of ten new centres and the expansion of another twenty. Concurrently, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Ecological Transition, a Climate Change Adaptation Plan is being promoted with an investment of €30 million. Key measures include the installation of photovoltaic modules in 56 educational centres and the development of a protocol to respond to high-temperature episodes, with varying levels of response based on alerts.

Progress and Limitations

The Director General of Educational Infrastructure and Equipment, Iván González, acknowledged on La Radio Canaria that “there are not enough shaded areas” and that actions are being prioritised in the most exposed regions according to the ClimCan map: southern Tenerife and Gran Canaria, as well as Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and specific areas of La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. Among the ongoing projects is a pilot scheme for adiabatic cooling, an alternative to air conditioning due to its lower electrical impact and greater efficiency in humid climates.

As summers grow longer and heatwaves extend into September and October, the question remains: while the Ministry focuses on investment and a long-term strategy, trade unions argue that measures are arriving too late and in dribs and drabs. Given this week’s soaring temperatures, the uncertainty persists: has the Canary Islands genuinely done enough to combat heat in classrooms?