The cold wave that Spain suffers these days has special incidence in Sevillian schools and institutes.The educational centers must combine on this date, with enough difficulty, the measures established by the health authorities in the classroom to combat the possible contagions of Covid - which are specified in constant ventilation through the opening of windows - with the searchof the ideal temperature that the stay of the minors in them is bearable.A difficult goal to ensure that it has already become a reason for a protest - organized by the Platform Heat Schools - and political confrontation.Before such a situation, the Ministry of Education and Sports has made it clear through a statement that, this course conditioned by the pandemic must prevail the security against the virus on thermal comfort.It is time to go cold.
The department directed by Javier Imbroda is based on the document prepared by the experts of the Ministry of Health and Families, which was sent to the teaching centers on December 22.It specifies that if the windows open in the classrooms all the school cannot be maintained for the cold, at least 10 minutes are made in class change.
The document includes the recommendation to "combine the air conditioning system with those natural ventilation guidelines most appropriate to its center, environment and weather conditions, always trying to maintain a balance between air renewal and thermal comfort."For this reason, it affects that "in the event that they cannot remain open windows and doors or totally or partially (due to thermal conditions), periodic ventilation guidelines must be established, for example, every hour or every class change, for at least 10 minutes. "
Ventilate five minutes after recess
The circular abounds that "when returning from recess it would be appropriate to maintain natural ventilation for five minutes."To this he adds that, "in any case, at this time the security of the students is prioritized in the face of infection on thermal well -being and energy efficiency."In this sense, Education recalls that since the beginning of the pandemic, the guidelines of the health authorities for prevention and safety in the teaching centers have always been followed.
As already clarified last Monday, given the possibility of using air purifiers, the Board explains that "there is currently the existence of published studies that establish a direct relationship between the use of these systems by filtering in the classrooms and their effectin the decrease in the transmission of the COVID in them. "Education appreciates the "collaboration and understanding" of teachers, administration staff, families and students "in such a complex and unpublished situation for pandemic."
Protest in Torhertriana
The clarification of the Ministry responds to the protest convened on Wednesday by the Platform Heat Schools against Torretriana, headquarters of the department directedcold wave and rebound of the third wave of covid. "This organization constituted by students' associations also regrets the "improvisation" of the Board, which is why it requires "taking effective measures and taking them already."
The spokeswoman of the platform, Teresa Pablos, told Europa Press that "the educational centers are not prepared for cold or heat and now in this pandemic situation that requires having open doors and windows the situation is very serious".Pablos has detailed that "in the classrooms they are working under degrees below the levels that the law marks, it does not exceed the ten in many cases and the children and their teachers are absolutely terrified of cold.""They are not decent conditions and we have a tool that is the Bioclimatization Law, which contemplates measures to solve this situation, not now in Pandemia, but always because the quality of the inner air of the classroom is contemplated in the law," said theSpokesman for heat schools, which contemplates continuing with the protests the next few days if this situation is not remedied.
Failed boilers
The cold wave, in addition, has coincided with the heating breakdowns in several Sevillian schools.If last Monday it was the CEIP Hermanos Machado and Borbolla who had to dispense with this system because the boiler was spoiled, during these days there have been other centers that have been found in similar circumstances.One of them is the Padre Manjón school, in Bormujos, where, according to the Centro AMPA, the heating boiler is damaged and since November the town hall of the town has been notified several times, without being solved.Meanwhile, as in so many other centers, children have to remain in classrooms with hats, coats and gloves on, since the windows must be left open by Covid ventilation protocol.
Even more surprising is the situation in the CEIP Master Rafael Bravo Martín, in Alcalá del Río, whose current building was inaugurated in September 2020, after an investment of three million euros, and where the boiler does not work, whichIt forces students to fight the low temperatures of these days covered with clothing and accessories.It is one of the many deficiencies that the new facilities present, where the multipurpose room (SUM) has had to divide to have two classes, the morning classroom is a class, the library is the Covid room, the gym is without finishing, the shadow spaces are almost non -existent and the alleged carbon dioxide detection system has not been completed, according to the Center's AMPA.
