Heatwave Impact on Canarian Classrooms: Calls for Shade Areas
The chairperson of the AMPA at CEIP Bañaderos, Marta Rosales, has a seven-year-old son and notes that “climate change is a reality” which necessitates “adapting schools”. Nuria Duval, mother of a three-year-old girl who suffered a heatstroke in the playground, highlights the severity of conditions amidst the current heatwave.
Concern Over Classroom Heat
Located in a ravine just metres from the coast, the public school CEIP Bañaderos is situated in one of the sunniest areas of Arucas. Consequently, students are heavily exposed during Physical Education classes and breaks. Families have come together to demand shaded areas in the playground. On Friday at 9:00 AM, when children entered the school, the thermometer was already approaching 30 degrees, compounded by a sensation of heat.
Marta Rosales, the AMPA president, stresses the importance of adapting school facilities to acknowledge the reality of climate change. She explains that families have been advocating for a shaded area for many years to provide refuge from the sun.
Currently, the school only has a small porch with columns and stairs, which is inadequate for the 300 students. There is a minor shaded area for younger children, but it offers limited relief and little shade.
During heatwaves like the current one in the Canary Islands, the solution has been to keep children indoors rather than allowing them to play outside, where classrooms also become unbearably hot. During less intense heat episodes, students use the outdoor playground.
Health Risks for Students
Numerous mothers confirm that sunburn and heat exhaustion are everyday issues for their children. “They always have tan lines from their shirts because the sun hits directly on their skin,” explains Yurena del Rosario, mother of a ten-year-old boy. Yaiza Sosa, mother of two children aged six and nine, adds, “There have been kids with burns on their necks,” while showing pictures of the injuries.
Nuria Ducal recounts that her three-year-old daughter suffered heatstroke last year. “When I picked her up from school, her cheeks, arms, and neck were red. She also had a severe headache.” She mentions that this experience made her acutely aware of the long-standing plea for a shaded playground, deeming it a necessary measure.
She insists that since her daughter’s incident, she now ensures her child stays under the small porch, but acknowledges that it’s hard to constantly monitor the children. While she emphasises the need for sunscreen, she states it only lasts a few hours and cannot overly burden teachers with additional responsibilities.
Another mother highlights her diabetic son, stating that apart from the heatwaves, he needs to bring insulin to school, which is also exposed to the heat.
“It’s disgraceful that it’s been nearly nine years since the first complaints about the lack of shade,” says Ana Hernández, who has two children aged seven and four. The AMPA president adds that complaints submitted electronically have been documented since 2021, reinforcing that this issue is not new. She also confirms that the concerns have been raised in the School Council and AMPA meetings.
Fermina Marrero, mother of seven, remarks that many of her children no longer attend the school, yet insists that the struggle for shade has been ongoing. “We are asking for something necessary that doesn’t require a significant investment,” the mothers tell this newspaper. They emphasise that double-height tarpaulins could be installed, pointing out there are many innovative ideas that could effectively provide shade.
Local Government Response
From the Arucas Town Hall, Councillor for Education María Isabel Santana Rodríguez acknowledged awareness of the situation, a concern that extends to other public schools within the municipality. She indicates that local councils are responsible for the maintenance and conservation of school facilities; “to conserve and maintain what exists,” she clarifies.
She adds that “what is required for the playgrounds—not just in Bañaderos but in other schools as well—would be new construction, as it’s not merely a matter of installing awnings. We would have to consider major works due to wind and safety issues which are beyond our remit.”
The councillor notes that the Education Department has received correspondence from CEIP Bañaderos and other Arucas schools, agreeing on the necessity for shaded areas.
When asked if she would take further action to urge the Education Department, she stated, “We have done so and will continue to do so,” She also highlighted other pressing issues of school infrastructure, including electrical installations, to which she will advocate to the Department.
Moreover, on Thursday, the Education Department announced that they have allocated resources to select schools for creating shaded areas, reiterating that “Arucas is also on the map.”
In a video released by the Education Department of the Canary Islands government, the Director General of Infrastructure, Iván González, noted that last year a plan for adapting educational facilities to high temperatures was published, which included the creation of shaded spaces. Since then, he claims 160 schools across the islands have incorporated shade solutions.
González explains that various criteria were followed and that collaborations with the councils are underway to establish shade areas in Lanzarote, La Gomera, and El Hierro. “We are also creating shaded spaces in the southern part of Fuerteventura, in the municipalities of Tuineje and Pájara, and currently, we are awaiting financial collaboration from the councils of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and La Palma.”
He emphasises that priority has been given to schools in the southern parts of the islands in line with the adaptation plan.
“In the specific case of CEIP Bañaderos in Arucas, we received the request from the school on Monday, 15 September and are now managing it to include this educational centre in the upcoming phases of shade space creation,” summarises González.
