Heat-free at school

Definition

If it gets particularly hot in summer, students may be given heat-free and may be dismissed from school or may not even have to come to school at all. Heat-free refers to the cancellation of school lessons due to particularly high outside temperatures. The power to decide whether or not to grant heat-free status lies with the individual principals and differs from state to state in Germany.

What are the requirements for heat-free?

The prerequisite for being heat-free is a room temperature at which teachers and students have difficulty concentrating and perform poorly. Depending on the federal state, this means room temperatures of at least 25 degrees Celsius.

From how many degrees does heat-free exist?

In Germany there are regional differences in the waiver of heat freedom. There are states that require certain temperatures, while in other states school principals give heat-free status at their own discretion. In Bremen, for example, at least 25 degrees Celsius in the school building are required to be heat-free.

In North Rhine-Westphalia there is a minimum room temperature of over 27 degrees. In Saxony-Anhalt there is heat-free for pupils if at least 26 degrees Celsius are reached in the classroom at eleven o’clock in the morning. In Brandburg, there is no heat if there are 25 degrees Celsius in the shade at 10 a.m. or if the room temperature is 25 degrees Celsius at 11 a.m. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania stipulates that heat-free is only pronounced when the heat and humidity no longer seem reasonable for the students.

In Berlin or Bavaria, there are no degrees for pronouncing heat-free. Heat is handled similarly flexibly in Saarland. The state prefers part-time heat-free at particularly high temperatures in order to maintain as much schooling as possible.

What does the school law say?

The right to heat-free is regulated differently in the school laws of the federal states. In Baden-Württemberg, the principals are free to decide on heat-free. In Hesse, for particularly hot days, the law states that lessons may be arranged alternatively in the elementary and middle grades when it is hot, i.e. projects at other places of learning instead of the regular lessons, for example.

In addition, homework may be waived in Hesse and lessons may be terminated after the fifth hour. In Lower Saxony, the principal is allowed to give heat-free lessons in secondary school 1. The school law of North Rhine-Westphalia allows secondary level 1 heat-free if the principal considers it necessary. At the same time it is stipulated in NRW that the secondary level 2 has no right to heat-free. In Rheinland-Pflanz and Schleswig-Holstein the principal is free to decide when to give heat-free for which secondary level.