Students from Avalon Public School will soon enjoy cooler classrooms, thanks to a scheduled approved installation of an air conditioning system under the $500-million Cooler Classrooms Program.
In June 2021, the NSW Government approved the tenders for the aircon installation at Avalon Public School, Bilgola Plateau Public School, and Elanora Heights Public School. These schools were part of the over 400 schools that were enjoined to apply for the installation of the reverse-cycle units in 2019.
Over 600 state schools experiencing temperatures above 30°C in January were automatically included in the Cooler Classrooms Program. However, schools with lower temperature averages that still experienced a warmer environment during the summer, were asked to submit their applications.
Avalon Public School averages a January temperature of about 27°C. The new smart air conditioning systems are expected to deliver a more conducive environment for learning.
Studies have shown that temparature impacts the students’ ability to focus and concentrate in class and the optimal classroom temperature should be between 22°C to 24°C. According to the experts, some two per cent of favourable learning environment is lost for every one-degree rise in temperature.
However, questions have been raised on the process of application approval, as schools with average temperatures reaching almost 30°C have been turned down. Of the 447 schools that applied in the second round, only 15 were approved, including Avalon Public School.
Meanwhile, several schools within the Penrith, Blacktown, and Windsor triangle, which have warmer microclimates that sometimes reached 37°C, missed out on the program. Critics said that the NSW Govermment should have identified and targetted these schools instead of basing the decision on the applications.
Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said that applications were audited based on the technical requirements, the electrical capacity of the school, and the number of classrooms. Ms Mitchell also said that the government will look into the additional requirements from other schools after the “rollout of the current delivery priorities.”
Since the announcement of the program in 2018, 922 schools have received or will soon get the cooling systems in the first and second rollouts. The government plans to complete its target by June 2022.