As extreme weather forces hundreds of schools to close, advocacy group Parents for Climate is calling on state and federal governments to protect students by installing solar-powered air-conditioning and considering a shift in school term dates.
Nic Seton, Parents for Climate CEO, said our kids’ safety and education is under threat.
“Unnatural weather extremes, worsened by burning coal and gas, are shutting down schools at an alarming rate. It’s time for urgent action.”
New data from Parents for Climate reveals:
- In February 2024, over 220 schools and early childhood centres nationwide were forced to close for a day or more, with a cumulative total of 310 days where services were closed. Two thirds of closures were due to the Victorian bushfires alone.
- Already in February 2025 there have been 297 school closure days across 121 schools, mostly in North Queensland, where floods have shut down 106 schools. 95 of those same schools closed in February last year due to extreme heat.
“And the official lists of closures only tell part of the story. We know that at least some schools will remain officially open but tell parents they need to collect their kids, or that their kids can’t come to school. Some states don’t make public their school closure rates.
“Parents are being forced to scramble - losing work, income, and vital services - while kids miss out on their education. This is not just inconvenient; it’s unsustainable,” said Mr Steton.
“Last year the Philippines decided to move their school term because of extreme heat impacts. It should be up for discussion here too.”
Parents for Climate is urging governments to:
- Install solar-powered air conditioning and battery storage in all state schools and early childhood centres, prioritising lower-income communities.
- Investigate shifting school term dates to avoid increasingly severe summer weather impacts.
A recent Zurich-Mandala Climate Risk Index: the impact of climate change on Australia's schools report warns that two-thirds of schools in Australia currently face high climate risk. This is set to rise to 84% by 2060, with students projected to endure 34 heatwave days per year.
“This is a crisis. If governments don’t act now, more children will suffer, more schools will close, and our education system will be increasingly disrupted,” said Mr Seton.
“We need solutions, not school closures.”
References
- Zurich-Mandala Climate Risk Index: the impact of climate change on Australia's schools
- Philippines adjusts school calendar to avoid heat
- Hothouse Australia: our kids at risk as heat soars, Parents for Climate & Sweltering Cities, 2024
- UNDER PRESSURE: The climate crunch fuelling inflation and hurting Aussie families, Parents for Climate & Climate Council, 2024
- Solar Our Learning: saving millions for the early learning sector, Parents for Climate, 2024