Are many schools really without heat?

• A viral post on Twitter warns of the lack of heating in “many schools” in France, because it would be “too expensive”.

• The tweet is a simplification and a generalization from several cases, mentioned in the France Info article, in particular in Limeil-Brévannes (Val-de-Marne) and in Evreux (Eure).

• From these examples is it possible to say that many schools are without heating?

  No, we are told by representatives of the SNUipp-FSU teachers' union and the Federation of Parents' Councils (FCPE).

  But that doesn't mean there aren't problems.

As the cold sets in, a viral post on social media warns of the lack of heating in schools, with students freezing during class hours as a result.

“According to a France Info article in many schools in this country there is no longer any heating because it is too expensive, the pupils study in rooms at 10 degrees.

What works today in France under Macron?

“Asks a user, familiar with conspiratorial remarks, in a tweet shared more than 1,200 times.

“All that remains is to remove the children from school”, comments a user.

What is the situation of schools in France?

takes stock.

FAKE OFF

The tweet is a simplification and a generalization from several cases, mentioned in the France Info article.

Two periods must be distinguished to understand the problem: that of October, before the All Saints holidays (which took place from October 22 to November 7) and the situation since the return from the holidays.

Why ?

Because before the holidays, the question was about the triggering of the heating requested by parents, while the temperatures were cooling.

Upon returning from vacation, the heaters were switched on in the town halls mentioned in the France Info article, but there were technical incidents in certain classes, resulting in low temperature readings.

Thus, in Limeil-Brévannes (Val-de-Marne), temperatures of 10° to 12° degrees were recorded by parents of students in several classrooms in October.

A petition has been launched to ask for the heating to be triggered.

The town has installed electric heaters in “classes that were cold from October 12”, indicates the mayor’s chief of staff, whom we contacted.

For all schools, the heating was finally turned on on the night of November 6 to 7, after returning from the All Saints holidays.

Technical problems in a classroom at 13°C

Joined by

, Audrey Gouffé, vice-president of the local parents' association, the Independent Parents' Group, explains that just last week "there was a school where it was 13 degrees in a class: the elementary side worked very well and the kindergarten, not.

The town hall called in a technician, ”she explains.

Information confirmed by the municipality of Limeil-Brévannes.

"The heating was restarted as soon as the school year started, but in some dilapidated schools we had technical problems where our technicians had to intervene", underlines the mayor's chief of staff.

The latter explains that if, indeed, “there is a problem of the budget of the municipalities, which encourages us to rethink certain operations, we do not cut the heating in the schools”.

An energy saving measure has, however, been taken: the temperature has been lowered by one degree.

“We put all the schools at 19 degrees since we know that one less degree means 7% savings,” he continues.

The heating is switched off in the schools during the school holidays and, outside the school holiday period, the temperature is lowered at night.

Thermal probes to adjust the temperature

In Evreux (Eure), another case mentioned in the article, the heating was triggered on September 28 in schools, following a complaint from parents.

It was turned off when the weather was nicer in October.

And reignited again on the return from the All Saints holidays, details the town hall.

The temperature of 12°C recorded on November 23 by parents in an elementary class in Bois Bohy may be linked to a problem with a poorly adjusted thermal probe or to the service provider who manages the heating network for this class.

A FAKE NEWS TO CHECK?

GO THROUGH WHATSAPP

With 35 school groups in Evreux and four main energy suppliers, “we have a very fragmented panorama, defends the town hall.

There are schools of different architectures, of different periods.

That of Bois Bohy has the poorest energy performance.

An energy sobriety plan was adopted at the beginning of October, with a measure concerning schools.

The goal is "to adjust the heating on a case-by-case basis, thanks to thermal probes, with a minimum temperature of 19 degrees", points out the town hall of Evreux.

However, she refutes the idea that the heating has been cut in schools to save money.

“The first buildings that were reheated, before the agent buildings, were the schools and nurseries at the end of September,” she says.

“We had feedback from teachers, but no massive recovery”

From these examples is it possible to say that many schools are without heating?

No, we are told by representatives of the SNUipp-FSU teachers' union and the Federation of Parents' Councils (FCPE).

But that doesn't mean there aren't problems.

“We have had here and there feedback from teachers on insufficiently heated classes, but no massive increase, explains Guislaine David, spokesperson for SNUipp-FSU.

In most cases, it happened for a few days since some mayors were slow to put on the heating, but in the end, there was pressure from parents, which is legitimate.

»

The observation is similar on the side of the FCPE, which specifies that each winter the question of the energy performance of school buildings comes up.

And notices having more, this year, “raisings of heating problems in schools, linked to energy sobriety measures”, adds Grégoire Ensel, vice-president of the FCPE.

Is it possible to quantify it?

On this point the Ministry of National Education did not provide us with an answer.

Renovate dilapidated premises

But the FCPE conducted a survey between 9 and 16 November at the level of its departmental councils to find out whether parents had identified establishments where measures linked to the energetic crisis could have a negative impact on children's schooling (lower temperatures, closure of classrooms, impossibility for establishments to cope with the increase in the cost of energy).

For 34% of them, the answer was positive.

“The motivations brought to their attention concerned poorly insulated, poorly maintained school buildings, a reduced operating budget, movement of students to other establishments”, details Grégoire Ensel, who invites parents to withdraw their children from schools if the temperatures in the classroom are too low and advocates the right of withdrawal for teachers.

The two officials point out above all the urgency of investing in school buildings to renovate dilapidated premises and improve their energy performance.

Because these insulation problems are also found in June or July, when students can then suffer from high temperatures.

Company

Education: “We defended the oppressed”… They tell their memories of class delegates

Economy

EcoWatt, emergency numbers, transport… Understand everything about “load shedding” planned in the face of electricity shortages

• Company

• National Education

• Energy

• Energy sobriety

• fake-off