September 14, 2025

Italy’s children have finally returned to school after the longest summer holiday in Europe, a whopping three months off! But wait—before parents cheer, teachers are waving red flags about the heat. Thanks to climate change, classrooms are turning into mini greenhouses with unbearable temperatures. Antonino Rinaldo, a school administrator from Palermo, Sicily, warns, "The sun beating down on small classrooms creates a greenhouse effect," making it too hot to study safely. Heatwaves are hitting Italy hard, but only six percent of schools have air conditioning, the education ministry says. While parts of Italy see temperatures cool down, the south stays sizzling. Sicily expects 33°C next week! Schools there plan to finish classes at midday to beat the heat, said Rinaldo. Sardinia has pushed for national talks on fixing schools to handle climate change. And places like Bari, Bologna, Florence, and Naples face 30°C as kids return. Marcello Pacifico, the head of teachers' union ANIEF, stated, "We cannot continue with the same school calendar as 50 years ago when the climate has changed." The heat is tough on students, especially during exams, and on ageing teachers, 55 percent of whom are over 50. Rinaldo adds, "If it is too hot, on top of endangering the health of our students, we can't guarantee the quality of the education" because students struggle to concentrate. Italy has the longest summer holiday in Europe—97 days! Spain has 77, France 56, Germany just 44. But a petition by We World wants to cut a month from this long break. They say poor kids miss out when parents can’t afford camps or trips. Cooling schools with air conditioning would help, but Italy’s high electricity prices hold back widespread use. Nunzia Capasso, a teacher near Naples, says teenagers battling heat and hormones find it especially tough. "If classrooms are (as hot as) crematoriums and everything's falling to bits, it's easy to just suggest delaying the return to school," she said. Many Italian schools are old, built years ago with poor materials. Capasso’s school, built in 2000, still suffers from bad heating and cooling. But schools play a vital role in keeping kids safe and busy, especially in poor areas, so closing them longer isn’t simple. She urges the government and regions to invest in better buildings so schools can "stay open all year round," battling climate effects and supporting children. Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Services reports that Europe has warmed twice as fast as the world since the 1980s. Summers now start earlier and last longer. So, Italy’s hot school classrooms are just the start of a big challenge that schools worldwide will face.

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Tags: Italy schools, Heatwave, Climate change, Summer holidays, Air conditioning, Student health,