Two Brussels teaching unions warned that a school guidance on dealing with heat issued by the French-speaking Ministry might endanger teachers and pupils.
French-speaking Education Minister Valérie Glatigny (MR) is yet again in the hot seat after her office published a circular last month outlining how schools should respond to "exceptional circumstances" such as heatwaves.
Belgium is bracing for another heatwave this week, Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (RMI) has placed the country under a yellow warning. Under the Minister's recent guidance, schools are advised to move pupils to cooler rooms, increase hydration and avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
Other measures, such as reducing afternoon schedules and suspending non-essential activities, are recommended under orange and red alerts.
Walloon Education Minister Valerie Glatigny. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
Staying in heat 'at all costs'
CSC Enseignement Bruxelles et CGSP Enseignement Bruxelles, two Brussels teaching unions, explained that the new circular is pushing pupils and teachers to stay in classrooms "at all costs", even during extreme heat.
They point out that the document considers classroom temperatures up to 30°C to be within a "green" level and even outlines procedures for classrooms reaching 40°C.
"This is unacceptable," the unions said in a joint statement, warning of risks including heatstroke, dehydration and fainting among pupils and staff.
They also highlighted poor conditions of many school buildings in Brussels, describing them as "energy sieves" that trap heat, while playgrounds often become urban heat islands during hot weather.
According to the unions, legal workplace wellbeing rules require employers to act once thermal stress thresholds are exceeded. They believe those limits are likely to be breached in many classrooms on Monday, particularly in older buildings exposed to direct sunlight.
The unions are also calling on schools to suspend classes whenever legal heat limits are exceeded and ensure every classroom is equipped with a thermometer.
Galtigny's office insists the circular was misinterpreted and that it explicitly states workplace wellbeing legislation takes precedence.
It also notes that the colour-coded system mirrors national weather warning scale used by the RMI and that school authorities retain the power to suspend lessons based on local conditions, particularly from the orange alert level onwards.
