The air in Madrid, usually a crisp welcome to summer, instead hung heavy and stifling this past Thursday, mirroring the frustration of hundreds of parents gathered outside the Madrid Assembly. A crimson tide of red shirts, whistles piercing the midday heat, painted a vivid picture of their desperation. Their chant, a rhythmic plea echoing through the streets, summed it all up: “It’s not Riviera Maya, my child faints.”
A Battle Against the Heat: Parents Demand Action
This wasn’t a spontaneous outburst, but a meticulously organized protest by the ‘Aprender Sin Calor’ (Learning Without Heat) Platform, a coalition of over 150 parent associations. They came seeking not just relief, but a fundamental change in how Madrid’s public schools address the escalating problem of extreme heat.
Inside the Assembly, 30 mothers, their faces etched with concern, hoped for a solution. Outside, their crimson-clad allies, a powerful visual statement, made their voices heard. The red, a stark symbol of alarm, dominated the landscape, punctuated by the shrill cries of whistles. Passing cars honked in solidarity, a small but significant gesture of support for a cause that resonates deeply within the community.
Political Support and a Proposed Solution
Among those who came to meet the protesting parents were Mar Espinar, the socialist spokesperson, and Esteban Álvarez, the head of education for her party. María Pastor, their counterpart in the Más Madrid party, and Lucía Lois, a councilwoman from her municipal group, also joined the assembly. Más Madrid, seizing the moment, proposed a legislative reform to ensure educational facilities maintain temperatures below 27 degrees Celsius and above 17 degrees Celsius, a standard already enshrined in occupational risk prevention regulations for indoor spaces.
“It cannot be that workers have tools to protect themselves, but children are defenseless, being, moreover, a vulnerable population,” insisted Pastor, a thermometer clutched in her hand. She had just measured the temperature in the Assembly chamber – a comfortable 23 degrees. “It’s an absolute disgrace. I expect the Popular Party to embrace denialism this Thursday, showing their contempt for children and teachers. All public buildings are air-conditioned, except those occupied by minors. It’s indecent.”
Firsthand Accounts of Suffering
Alejandra Korovaichuk, a 47-year-old mother and representative of the Colegio Ramiro de Maeztu parents’ association in Chamartín, joined the protest with a heavy heart. She has penned 10 letters to the Ministries of Education and Health, as well as the Territorial Directorate of Madrid Capital, expressing her profound concern. Her pleas have gone unanswered.
Her son, attending early childhood education, plays in a patio devoid of shade, trees, or awnings. “Children come out soaked, dizzy, with nosebleeds, extremely thirsty…” she recounted, her voice thick with emotion. Parents at her school measured classroom temperatures in September, with one classroom reaching a staggering 33 degrees Celsius at 12:30 PM.
“They ask us to make sure the little ones wear hats and light clothing; it’s a joke, we’re not stupid. Every time I hear in the Assembly that when it’s hot, it’s hot, and that it’s a source of inspiration, it makes me want to cry. How far can the lack of humanity go? They are laughing at our children,” she lamented. Her greatest fear is receiving a call from the school nurse, informing her that her son has suffered a heatstroke. “I leave him with a heavy heart, I give him toys to take to school with the intention of keeping him still and not running in the playground. The goal is to minimize risks.” She emphasized that she is not asking for luxuries, but for dignified conditions that, in her opinion, could be achieved with proper air conditioning in schools.
A Decade-Long Struggle and Health Concerns
The PSOE spokesperson reminded the Assembly that the regional executive had made a commitment to address this issue during its legislative debate. “Pediatric emergency room visits at La Paz Hospital alone increase by 25% due to these increasingly early and intense heatwaves. As soon as Quirón gets involved in air conditioning, they’ll even air-condition the bathrooms,” Espinar quipped, highlighting the perceived hypocrisy.
Esteban Álvarez, the PSOE’s education chief, announced a comprehensive five-year air conditioning and energy efficiency plan to adapt all public educational centers in Madrid. “The cost is around 800 million, which would be 0.5% of the Community of Madrid’s budget, and almost two million students would benefit. Students cannot wait.”
María Carmen Morillas, president of the Francisco Giner de los Ríos Federation of Student Parent Associations (FAPA), was among those inside the Assembly. “Climate change is undeniable, and we will not stop until educational centers are adapted. We have been fighting for a decade,” she declared, adding that she would meet with the Ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo, to discuss the matter further. “Families pick up their children with headaches and vomiting. It’s a public health problem.” She stated that only 5% of schools and institutes have undergone air conditioning work this academic year. “They are a sauna; it’s of little use for children to carry spray bottles.” She expressed particular concern for students with autism spectrum disorder, as a high percentage of them lack the ability for body thermoregulation.
Verónica Díez, 46, whose children attend the Ausiás March School in Villaverde, also joined the protest. “There are diabetic students who are missing classes on the recommendation of their endocrinologist. With high temperatures, their blood sugar drops,” she explained. She reported that students are frequently moved between classrooms to escape the heat, and that when they go to the playground, they take turns in shaded areas. “They have asked families to buy fans. We have to put money in so that our children don’t get dizzy,” she said. Javier Zamora, a 35-year-old father, called the situation unsustainable. “There are deaths associated with high temperatures,” he warned.
Teachers and Students Suffer Alike
Silvia Esteban, a secondary school teacher in a Fuencarral center, offered her support. “As a teacher, I want the law to be complied with in my workplace; labor regulations require between 17 and 27 degrees.” She noted that there are days when her students cannot go out for recess. Parents have begun picking up their younger children with umbrellas, a symbolic gesture of support for children enduring high temperatures in classrooms. She reminded everyone that the problem doesn’t end in June, as schools become summer camp venues in July and August, and also examination centers for public service entrance exams.
“My students get more fatigued and perform less at a stage of vital importance for them; they are in the middle of exam season,” she explained. She reported that they frequently leave class to cool down. “All the educational centers I’ve been to in recent years have reached 30 degrees. We are canceling classes to reduce teaching hours during the hottest times. They have to take us seriously; it’s not a whim of families and teachers. The Spanish Association of Pediatrics also expresses its concern.”
The parents’ protest in Madrid is a stark reminder of the growing challenges posed by climate change and the urgent need for robust solutions to protect the most vulnerable members of society – children in their classrooms. The fight for cooler schools is far from over, but the unity and determination of these parents offer a glimmer of hope that change, eventually, will come.
Source: https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/2026-06-11/las-familias-protestan-ante-la-asamblea-de-madrid-por-el-calor-en-las-aulas-no-es-riviera-maya-mi-hijo-se-desmaya.html
