Release from
High temperatures are increasingly disrupting everyday school life in Austria. Whilst heatwaves used to occur mainly during the summer holidays, climate change means that hot days are now increasingly common in June and September – in other words, during the regular school term.
The citizen science project “Climate Ready Schools”, led by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, is investigating how pupils and teachers perceive heat stress in everyday school life, what effects high temperatures have on learning conditions, and what measures can be taken to sustainably strengthen the climate resilience of schools.
The number of hot days is rising significantly
Since the 1961–1990 climate period, the number of hot days in Vienna – that is, days with maximum temperatures above 30 °C – has tripled from an average of ten to around 30 per year. The number of summer days with temperatures above 25 °C has also risen by around 70 per cent. Of particular relevance to schools is the fact that, since the 2000s, hot days have increasingly occurred during the transitional months of June and September, thereby having an ever-greater impact on teaching activities.
Current climate projections suggest that the situation could worsen further in the future: in the second half of the century, May and September could exhibit similar temperature patterns to those seen in June today. Schools are therefore increasingly faced with the challenge of adapting their infrastructure and organisation to the changing climatic conditions.
Survey reveals high levels of stress in everyday school life
A survey of five schools involving more than 1,500 participants – including 1,370 pupils and 176 teachers – highlights the growing levels of stress: 88 per cent of respondents find the heat in school buildings on hot days stressful, whilst 97 per cent state that it is too hot for focused learning for at least one week in June. At the same time, 91 per cent are convinced that concrete measures against heat should be implemented in schools.
Developing measures against heat stress together
As part of the ‘Climate Ready Schools’ project, pupils, teachers and school management are working together as active researchers to find solutions for reducing heat stress in everyday school life. The measures identified range from short-term behavioural adjustments during heatwaves to long-term investments in building infrastructure.
These include, for example, external sun protection and ventilation systems installed by building owners, organisational measures at school level such as adjusted room allocation or heat-friendly options in the school canteen, as well as immediate measures in everyday teaching – such as cross-ventilation in the morning, adequate fluid intake or the use of fans.
Scientific measurements in classrooms
Accompanying measurement campaigns at schools in Vienna and Lower Austria are providing additional scientific data on conditions in classrooms. Temperature and humidity measurements were carried out in five classrooms at the Camillo Sitte Bautechnikum in Vienna and at the Don Bosco Gymnasium in Unterwaltersdorf. The majority of teaching time in June was classified as thermally ‘uncomfortable’; on numerous days, indoor temperatures exceeded 27 °C.
Another measurement campaign is currently underway at GRG23 in Vienna and at the BG/BRG Bruck an der Leitha. There, pupils are also documenting their behaviour and the measures taken to reduce heat – such as external shading, opening windows and doors, or using fans – in order to scientifically evaluate their effectiveness.
A package of measures is needed
The findings to date show that there is no single measure that offers a comprehensive solution with minimal effort. Rather, a package of different approaches is needed to gradually make schools more resilient to increasing heat stress.
“The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly noticeable in everyday school life. Heat not only affects well-being, but also concentration and learning conditions. To make schools climate-resilient in the long term, a combination of structural, organisational and individual measures is required, as well as the active involvement of the entire school community,” says Martin Schneider, expert in climate resilience at AIT.
Project informationen
Project: Climate Ready Schools
Project approach: Citizen Science for researching and developing measures to combat heat stress in schools
Participating schools:
- Camillo Sitte Bautechnikum, Vienna
- Don Bosco-Gymnasium Unterwaltersdorf, Lower Austria
- GRG23, Vienna
- GRG7, Vienna
- BG/BRG Bruck an der Leitha, Lower Austria
- OMS Dietmayrgasse, Vienna
Further information:
www.climatereadyschools.at
Invitation to a media discussion
Diskurs. Das Wissenschaftsnetz cordially invites media representatives to an online media discussion on the topic of “Climate Ready Schools: Research into heat stress in Austrian schools”.
During the discussion, experts will present the latest scientific findings on the effects of rising temperatures on everyday school life, as well as possible measures to improve climate resilience in schools.
Date: 02. June 2026
Time: 09:00 bis 10:00 Uhr
Place: Online via Zoom
Registration:
danzl@diskurs-wissenschaftsnetz.at