Classrooms are like ovens in Campania: 95% of students fail schools to cope with the heat, while only 4,2% have air conditioning.

Overheated classrooms, poor air conditioning, and difficult conditions for studying and working. This is the snapshot of Campania's schools captured by the survey "How Hot It Is at School," conducted by Legambiente Campania and the Campania Student Union in anticipation of the resumption of classes on September 15th.

The survey involved 1.500 students, teachers, and administrative staff in the region's five provinces, focusing on the microclimatic conditions of schools and the effects of high temperatures on daily school life.

The clearest finding concerns the perception of heat: 48,7% of respondents described it as "unbearable," while 46,3% described temperatures as "very hot and making it difficult to study/work." Only 0,8% considered the environment comfortable. Overall, 95% described classrooms as very hot or unbearable on the hottest days.

The situation regarding systems appears equally critical. In 49,2% of schools, cooling systems are present only in the administrative offices or the principal's office, while 25,7% report no systems at all in the building. Only 4,2% of respondents reported that all or almost all classrooms are air-conditioned.

The discomfort also translates into concrete consequences. 70,5% of the sample reported severe fatigue or physical discomfort, 47,3% had difficulty concentrating, and 8,6% reported having to leave the classroom due to the temperatures. Only 1,7% reported no impact whatsoever.

For 84,2% of those interviewed, almost all classrooms are the most critical environments during hot days. Gyms are next, cited by 16,2%, and some specific classrooms, cited by 11,3%.

Also of concern is the preparedness of buildings to deal with extreme events: 84,8% judge their school to be "little or not at all adequate" for heat waves, while just 4,8% consider it adequate.

According to the survey, 67,6% of respondents reported the issue to school administrators. In response to the reports, 19% cited a lack of funding, 11% downplayed the request, and 11,5% received no response at all.

"In Italy, and particularly in Campania, extreme heat is no longer an exceptional phenomenon but a structural condition that directly impacts health, safety, and the quality of learning," says Mariateresa Imparato, president of Legambiente Campania.

"Data from the Ministry of Education's Single Portal show that over 90% of regional school buildings lack air conditioning, with no province exceeding 12% of equipped buildings," adds Imparato, calling for a special climate adaptation plan that includes efficient air conditioning, insulation, reflective roofs, and green infrastructure.

On the student front, Domenico Fortunato, representing the Campania UdS, calls for an "unsustainable" return to school and calls for structural improvements, accessible green spaces, and tools to cool classrooms. "If necessary, we will mobilize in schools starting in September to demand an improvement in the current conditions in our buildings," he says.

Among the solutions considered most urgent by those interviewed were the installation or strengthening of cooling systems, indicated by 82,9%; temporary rescheduling of opening hours, requested by 39%; the restoration of awnings and sunscreens, requested by 28,9%; thermal insulation measures, requested by 23,8%; and increasing the number of trees and shaded areas in courtyards, requested by 19,3%.

Finally, Legambiente and UdS also challenge the €20 million national allocation, calling it an "emergency measure" insufficient given the scale of the problem. The two organizations are calling for a structural effort to make school buildings safer and more livable, also highlighting the critical issues related to commuting and overcrowded public transportation during the hottest days.