Saxony's schools can decide on their own whether to make lessons easier on hot days. "In addition to 'heat-free days', there is also the option of shortening lessons or extending breaks," Tilo Schumann, spokesman for the Ministry of Education, told the German Press Agency. Outdoor lessons or project lessons outside the school are also possible - for example in the forest or in the swimming pool. However, supervision of the pupils must be guaranteed at all times.
Minister of Education Conrad Clemens (CDU) showed understanding for the difficult conditions. "It is not only pupils who find it difficult to concentrate when temperatures are too high. Our school administrators are best placed to assess the situation on site and know what needs to be done." According to the ministry, there are no uniform guidelines. "The situation varies from school to school, and one factor is the structural conditions, for example," it said.
Many schools in the Free State are responding to the high temperatures by shortening lessons these days. At an elementary school in Dresden, for example, the girls and boys were given a water hose and a water basin to cool off in the after-school care center at lunchtime.
