SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 19 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
A total of seven educational institutions in Santa Cruz de Tenerife have suspended in-person classes this Friday, transitioning to online learning due to the high temperatures affecting the archipelago.
The Education Department of the Canary Islands Government has approved the requests from IES Andrés Bello, El Chapatal, Benito Pérez Armas, and Las Veredillas, all located in Tenerife, as well as EASD Fernando Estévez, IES Teobaldo Power, and CIFP César Manrique, as confirmed by regional department sources to Europa Press.
This decision is based on the Protocol for Action in Educational Settings during High Temperature Situations, a document that has been available since the 2024/2025 academic year. It is designed as a framework of guidelines to assist the educational community in effectively preparing for and responding to heat episodes, such as the one currently affecting much of the archipelago.
The document takes into account the specific contexts of each island, region, municipality, and educational institution. It includes coordination between management teams and educational administration (Territorial Directorate, Insular Directorate, or Central Services) along with external agencies (local health services, other emergency services, and municipal authorities).
Levels of Risk and Measures
Specifically, the protocol requires educational centres to activate four levels of response: 0, 1, 2, and 3, which indicate the absence of risk, low risk, medium risk, and high risk, respectively. Intervention measures are outlined for each risk level, allowing the measures applicable at a higher level to also apply at a lower one.
Moreover, at level 3 (high or red risk), several measures are implemented, including non-in-person teaching. The adoption of this measure requires the same conditions stipulated for early closure at level 2, and can only occur when there is a declared alert for maximum temperatures from the General Directorate of Emergencies of the Canary Islands Government. Educational centres must ensure they can swiftly and effectively transition from in-person to online learning, as outlined in their programmes.
