Agropoli – The first official demonstration in Italy has begun in the Salerno area, calling for the postponement of the start of the 2026/2027 school year due to the heatwave affecting Campania. Professor Maria Cuono, a lecturer at the Vico-De Vivo Higher Education Institute in Agropoli, raised the alarm. She has submitted an urgent request to national and local government leaders, forwarding a popular petition to the Prime Minister's Office to postpone the start of classes.
The climate emergency in Campania schools
The abnormally high temperatures recorded in recent days, with peaks exceeding 41 degrees Celsius in some parts of the region, and the high humidity levels linked to climate change have collided with a structural deficiency in school buildings: according to the most recent data, over 92% of Italian schools lack adequate air conditioning systems. This situation, according to the teacher from Agropoli, constitutes a "clear violation of workplace health and safety conditions," pursuant to Legislative Decree 81/08.
The petition on Change.org
In support of the institutional action, Professor Cuono has launched a petition on the Change.org platform, which is rapidly gaining support from families and school staff. The signatories are requesting that the start of classes be postponed "until suitable weather conditions are restored" for safe teaching activities.
"The persistence of this heat is endangering the physical and mental well-being of the entire school community," said Professor Cuono, emphasizing how the situation has become "unsustainable for daily school life."
The appeal to local institutions
The protest highlights the responsibility of local authorities. "Prompt intervention by the authorities is essential, starting with the Mayor of Agropoli, to ensure they adopt the measures within their jurisdiction to postpone the start of classes in the face of clear temperature and humidity risks," the teacher added.
Agropoli's initiative may soon be echoed in other cities in Campania and Southern Italy, where heat waves are lasting longer than expected. The Campania Region, through the Civil Protection Functional Center, has already issued critical heat wave warnings until the end of August, urging residents to limit travel during the hottest hours of the day.
The national context
The Agropoli case is part of an alarming national picture: a Tuttoscuola survey reveals that out of approximately 365.973 classrooms estimated for the 2024-2025 school year, only 26.350 are equipped with air conditioning, while 339.623 are not. Unions and trade associations, including Anief and Gilda, have already launched calls for structural investments, proposing a national plan of €1,5 billion over the three-year period for the climate adaptation of school buildings.
