More than 1,000 U.K. schools closed for days or sent pupils home early in late June after a Europe-wide heat wave pushed Wales to a record 35.9C.
Poor ventilation, little or no air conditioning, and classrooms packed with about 30 children turned many school buildings into health risks, with unions reporting some teachers passed out while teaching.
Aging infrastructure and thin budgets have limited fixes: many schools built in the 1950s-70s are past their lifespan, asbestos complicates retrofits, and one London school gets only 7,000 pounds a year for repairs.
Britain's climate advisers say schools were built for colder winters, not prolonged heat, and warn that without adaptation the number of days indoor temperatures hit 35C in thousands of English schools could rise 70% by 2050.
The committee recommends low-cost shading and blinds first, but says high-risk schools, hospitals and care homes will need air conditioning or heat pumps within 25 years as extreme heat becomes a U.K. 'new normal.'