France pledges 130 mln euros to cool schools
More than 130 million euros have been allocated to fund cooling systems and renovation works in French schools and nurseries to help them prepare for future heat waves, state-owned utility EDF and several lenders said on June 26.
Most French schools are not designed to withstand extreme temperatures and lack air conditioning.
A record-breaking heat wave this week forced the closure of thousands of schools, while those that remained open have struggled to teach pupils in sweltering classrooms or to administer end-of-school exams for graduating high schoolers.
On June 25, French teaching unions called for a strike to protest “unacceptable working conditions.”
