NDP tables Bill to protect children from excessive heat in schools ahead of the summer season

QUEEN’S PARK – NDP Shadow Minister for Education, MPP Chandra Pasma (Ottawa West – Nepean) will be tabling legislation to protect kids from extreme heat in classrooms:

“As the number of extremely hot days during the school year is rising,” said Pasma. “Classrooms and school buses are becoming dangerously hot, and students, teachers and education workers are being asked to learn and work in conditions that are not safe. Every child deserves a safe, healthy learning environment, no matter their postal code or the age of their school building.”

The Fighting Extreme Heat in Schools Act, will establish enforceable maximum temperature standards in schools and on school buses, address critical infrastructure gaps, and ensure students and education workers are protected during extreme heat events.

“This bill would set a maximum temperature for schools, require practical heat mitigation plans, and ensure schools have emergency protocols in place during extreme heat events. It also recognizes that some communities have been left behind for far too long when it comes to infrastructure funding.

“It’s time to stop treating extreme heat as an occasional inconvenience and start responding to it as the serious public health issue that it is.”