A Labour councillor has hit out over a lack of ventilation upgrades in schools – saying leaving windows open during the chilly months is leaving children too cold to learn.
John Mooney says ventilation improvements should have been made over the summer and claims it is “impossible” to learn if pupils are too cold.
He spoke as West Dunbartonshire Council revealed it has purchased 1,560 CO2 monitors, which check whether spaces are well ventilated.
A report is going to a full council meeting next week explaining the work carried out to ensure there is enough air circulation in classrooms.
It comes amid concern over the new Omicron variant of Covid-19.
The councillor said: “We had an opportunity to put in safety measures including ventilation during the school closures and over the summer but instead of acting, the SNP council has let a huge opportunity slip through their fingers like sand.”
He said advice to keep rooms ventilated by opening windows was leaving pupils cold, saying: “It is impossible to learn if children are too cold and the SNP failure to provide any kind of sustainable ventilation strategy other than put on a jumper and open up the windows is not a credible approach.”
Half of the monitors bought by the council are now in operation with the rest due to be received sometime this month. A report states that the council has been actively monitoring levels, with readings showing “all of our learning and teaching spaces fell within the acceptable range”.
It adds that some initial readings taken were higher than they should have been but that immediate steps were taken. The new monitors give live readings, so staff can take immediate steps to increase or reduce ventilation as required.
A council spokeswoman said: “The council has purchased 1,560 CO2 monitors which is the required amount to ensure ventilation in all areas identified by staff within our schools and ELCs.
"Having the correct number of ventilators allows staff to make informed decisions about ventilating spaces and along with measuring both levels of CO2 and the temperature, staff use a combination of manual and mechanical ventilation to ensure spaces are not over-ventilated and too cold with the heating monitored and adjusted remotely.”
