France equips schools with cooling systems to combat heat waves
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
The French government purchased 50,000 cooling devices for schools across France since the summer to protect students and staff from extreme heat.
Minister Geffray announced the purchases on TF1 television, and stated the government intends to buy more in the coming weeks, inviting all schools to request equipment.
Electricité de France (EDF) contributed 80 million euros to the effort, including funding for the devices and grants up to 10,000 euros per school for larger cooling projects that will continue until June 2027. The government also identified 2,500 schools particularly vulnerable to heat and is providing them with diagnostics, insulation improvements, and cooling tools. This initiative follows a heat wave in late June that prompted action to improve school environments.
In addition to addressing heat, the Minister also discussed declining school performance as measured by the international Pisa study. He announced a plan to encourage reading by providing recommended book lists to students at the start of each holiday, beginning with the All Saints' Day break. Parents will also receive annual learning objectives for their children at the start of each school year.
