Steps to address warm weather conditions in schools

22/1/98

With the start to the 1998 school year fast approaching and coinciding with one of the hottest parts of the year, Education Minister Colin Barnett today announced two initiatives to address the warm weather conditions.

Firstly, Mr Barnett said there would be a review of school starting dates. As January and February were traditionally hot months in Western Australia, starting dates could be changed to allow students to start a little later in the year and finish school closer to Christmas.

Mr Barnett said he favoured delaying the start of school for one week. If changes were to be made, they would not come into place until after 2000.

"With the structure of our school timetable and holidays in WA, it is possible to change starting dates without changing our four-term year," he said.

"Personally, I favour students starting school in early February instead of the end of January and finishing one week closer to Christmas than they do currently.

"A cross-sectorial committee chaired by Peter Browne, CEO of the Department of Education Services, has been established to review starting dates. I expect the committee will present a report by mid-year.

"Consultation with both the Government and non-Government school sectors, business, industry and tourism sectors, and the wider community will occur before any final decision is made."

Mr Barnett also announced that more WA schools would be air-cooled (evaporative airconditioning) as part of a new $2 million three-year program.

He said a review of the Education Department's air-cooling policy had incorporated an additional 80 schools in the zone where schools were required to be air-cooled. Air-cooling would also be progressively installed in at least one area of all WA education support centres and units.

"Schools in the zone which are only partly air-cooled, or are not air-cooled at all, will be air-cooled over the next three years," the Minister said. (80 schools named in list attached.)

"The needs of schools in the hotter districts will be addressed first. Schools within the zone in the Goldfields district will be air-cooled first, then the Mid-West, Midlands, Narrogin, Swan and Joondalup district schools that fall into the zone.

"Installation of air-cooling at schools in the Goldfields and Mid-West districts will begin after July and be completed before students return to school at the start of next year.

"The Education Department will also develop policy and guidelines for schools outside this air-cooling zone to allow them to determine effective, safe and cost-efficient ways of improving their learning and teaching environments."

Over a number of years, the Education Department has implemented initiatives to address warm weather including:

+ a $25 million, five-year initiative to provide covered assembly areas in schools around WA;

+ a $2.1 million, three-year program to provide shade covers over sandpits in the pre-primary areas in primary schools;

+ completion last year of a $3.7 million, seven-year program to install air-cooling in all 1475 transportable and demountable classrooms around WA and that all new transportables be air-cooled when constructed;

+ $200,000 to air-cool at least two classrooms in all 13 special schools in WA;

+ implementation of the high temperature policy by which students can be withdrawn from school during excessive and prolonged hot weather conditions;

+ school's sun protection guidelines, including the 'no hat - no plan in the sun' policy; and -

+ consideration of climate patterns as part of design standards for new schools and major upgrades.

Media contacts: Justine Whittome, (08) 9222 9699

Penny Valentine, Education Department, (08) 9264 5348