At what temperature should you not go to school? Is it possible for children not to go to school due to bad weather?

When the weather brings low temperatures, this fact is a legitimate reason for children not to go to school. In every region of Russia, in winter, local authorities decide to cancel visits to educational institutions due to low temperatures with official notification through the media.

At what temperatures do children not go to school and classes are cancelled?

Organizing and supporting children’s primary literacy education is not a right, but a responsibility of parents. This is carefully monitored by the relevant social services and law enforcement agencies, which, if violations are detected, may apply sanctions. But what to do if weather conditions change sharply, the air temperature in winter drops to extremely low levels, and parents still need to go to work and earn money to support their family.

It is important to understand that in this case, what should come to the fore is not the obligation to study, but the safety of the young member of civil society. The main thing is that nothing threatens the life and health of the child, and everything else can wait. Almost all social and educational institutions adhere to this principle, and at the state level certain temperature restrictions have been established, exceeding which is automatically considered a signal for the child to stay at home.

At what temperature can you not go to school by region of Russia *
		Temperature
Central part of Russia(Moscow, St. Petersburg, in Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk and other cities in the middle zone, )	Primary classes	from -23 -25
	Middle grades 5-9	from -26 – 28
	Senior classes	from -31
Ural	Primary classes	-25-28
	Middle classes	-28-30
	Senior classes	-30-32
Siberia (Omsk, Irkutsk and others)	Primary classes	from – 30
	Middle classes	-32 -35
	Senior classes	from 36
Northern regions	Primary classes	from -40
	Middle classes	-48
	Senior classes	-50
Southern regions	Big frosts are an extremely rare occurrence.

* the data may not be sufficient to make a final decision. An additional factor on the influence of the decision, for example, may be strong winds

You need to understand that if the abolition of punishment for absenteeism in a school institution is permitted at the state level, then there are certain rules according to which such permission is considered legal. The main “judge” in the state, which is given the right to express its recommendations, which are binding on most educational institutions, is the Ministry of Education. The procedure here is simple:

1. If the air temperature drops below a critical value, an order is issued by the Ministry of Education of the region, which determines the possibility of schoolchildren not attending educational institutions.
2. Having received such a document, the head of a particular school is obliged to take measures to ensure its implementation and organize informing the parents of students that classes in the main program will not be held during a specific period.
3. The opportunity to be absent applies exclusively to students; for teachers this is a regular working day, but according to the self-training schedule.
4. Having received such a notification, parents have the right not to send their child to study (keep in mind that this is a right and not an obligation). And if, due to some circumstances, someone nevertheless brings a student to school, teachers are obliged to conduct lessons with such a student (as a rule, this is done not according to the main program, but according to additional ones, or by repeating the material covered).
5. The head of such an institution has the right to introduce a complete ban on visiting a school and simply close its front door if the temperature inside the school premises drops below 18 degrees Celsius.

It is worth noting that the maximum temperature threshold among students in different classes is not evenly distributed. Here are the following groups of schoolchildren, for whom the corresponding critical temperature thresholds are set:

• primary school students of general education schools (grades 1 to 4);
• secondary school students (schoolchildren from grades 4 to 9 fall under this category);
• high school students (this group applies to grades 10 and 11 of natal schools).

You need to understand. That the level of the lower temperature threshold, exceeding which gives students the right to stay at home, is different for different regions of Russia. In the southern regions it is higher than in the Far North.

Eg:

If for schoolchildren in the central regions (and these are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tula, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Penza, Voronezh, Orel, Kursk and others) temperatures in the range from minus 23 to minus 31 degrees Celsius, then for Khakassia this bar is reduced from minus 30 to minus 45 degrees Celsius, and in Yakutia temperatures from minus 40 to minus 50 degrees Celsius are considered critical.

You need to understand that there is a national standard that most educational institutions measure up to. According to this document, it is allowed to leave children of various age groups at home in severe frosts under the following circumstances:

• when the frost outside is below 25 degrees Celsius, schoolchildren in grades 1-6 can safely stay at home;
• if the thermometer outside the windows of your home drops below 30 degrees Celsius, all other students also have the opportunity to legally not attend the educational institution.

What you need to do to avoid being considered a truant

Many conscientious students and parents try not to miss the educational process and adhere to all the rules. At the same time, you also don’t want to expose your child to additional risk during his transition from home to school and back, when the temperature outside can easily freeze the steam coming out of his mouth.

Therefore, in order to avoid troubles with the administration of the educational institution, as well as not to miss individual academic subjects, we recommend following these simple recommendations when the temperature outside drops below a critical value:

• First of all, parents should know that school administrations are prohibited from applying any sanctions to students and their parents if the child did not attend the educational institution for a time when the air temperature outside was below acceptable in the conditions of a particular region, or if in school classes, the thermometer does not rise above 18 degrees Celsius;
• if parents have not received a message from the teacher personally or through the child that classes at school are being stopped due to a sharp cold snap, it is advisable to contact the class teacher by phone and make sure that certain restrictions are being introduced;
• when the air temperature outside drops below a critical level, but additional holidays are not officially introduced in schools, parents have the right to bring their child to school. The school administration (if the temperature inside the institution corresponds to acceptable standards) does not have the right to refuse parents education for their student;
• if the parents independently decided to send their child to school due to low temperature, it is advisable to inform the teacher that the child will be at home.
• in order not to miss the curriculum if classes are still held at school (this is realistic if, even in low temperatures, the attendance of a particular class is more than 50% of students).

It should be understood that these are average recommendations that may vary depending on the category of the student. For children in primary school and kindergarten, additional restrictions on walking may be introduced when wind speeds in winter exceed 15 m/s. You should also take into account the distance that the student needs to travel from home to the place of study, the availability of transport and other conditions.

It is important to note that in our age of technological progress, many educational institutions organize distance learning for their students who are unable to attend school due to worsening weather conditions by completing independent assignments via the global network. Here (using your school’s website and the corresponding section) you can find individual recommendations, assignments, and also receive feedback from the class teacher. And although such a service is not available in all schools, where it has been introduced, both parents, students, and teachers have already managed to appreciate the advantage of this approach in organizing the educational process.

Other restrictive school attendance measures

In addition to low temperatures, you can also legally skip school in cases of quarantine. This situation can arise both at the local and regional levels.

To introduce quarantine due to any disease, it is necessary that the threshold of those suffering from this disease in the region exceeds 25%. Regarding the right of the school administration to suspend the learning process, it will occur when more than 30 - 35% of students in one class fall ill with the same type of disease.

Typically, such situations occur during the cold autumn, winter and spring months (especially during the autumn and spring periods, when the body is most vulnerable to the effects of various bacteria and viruses). Quarantine is introduced in the form of additional holidays. At this time, students’ attendance at school stops completely, and the administration of the educational institution has every right to refuse students to attend classes.

Children spend almost half of the daylight hours in schools, so for parents the conditions in which the child learns are of great importance. Sanitary and hygienic indicators and lighting play a big role for children's health and immunity. The characteristics of a child’s body are such that even the slightest change in the microclimate affects thermoregulation. That is why schoolchildren need to ensure appropriate temperature conditions and comfort. If the temperature regime in the school is not maintained, then the heat transfer from the growing body increases, which leads to cooling, and in such a situation it’s just a stone’s throw away.

Sanitary standards

The microclimate in any room depends on the air temperature, its humidity (relative), as well as the speed of movement. While the last two indicators are easy to regulate, the internal air temperature in schools depends on a number of factors. The most significant factor is the heat transfer of the heating system. If the school is connected to a central heating system, then all that the school management can do is install high-efficiency radiators. High-quality doors that fit tightly to the frame help to maintain normal air temperatures in the school. If these measures do not help, it is recommended to keep a temperature log at school. The results of daily measurements can be presented to the heat supply organization.

According to current standards, attending school is possible at the following temperature conditions:

• from 17 degrees in classrooms;
• from 15 degrees in school workshops, workshops;
• from 15 degrees in the gym;
• from 19 degrees in locker rooms and dressing rooms;
• from 16 degrees in the library;
• from 17 degrees in assembly halls;
• from 17 degrees in toilets;
• from 21 degrees in the medical room.

If the minimum temperature in the school premises is below normal, canceling classes is the only possible solution.

The vicissitudes of the weather

The temperature inside school premises cannot but depend on the temperature outside the window. Even the best quality windows and doors will not save you from the cold if winter is fierce outside. Severe frosts are often a reason for the official cancellation of classes. Relevant standards have been developed in the CIS countries. Thus, the temperature at which schools cancel classes varies from -25 to -40 degrees. In addition, wind speed also matters. If it is less than two meters per second, then training sessions are canceled at the following temperature conditions:

• -30 degrees for students in grades 1-4;
• -35 degrees for students in grades 1-9;
• -40 degrees for students in grades 1-11.

At higher wind speeds, the conditions for canceling classes are as follows:

During extreme air temperatures that are unusual for specific regions, local television channels, radio and print media inform the population about the closure of schools. But the best way to find out whether classes are canceled at school is to call the class teacher.

Ultimately, parents should use common sense. If it is bitterly cold outside and going to school turns into an extreme ordeal, then you should skip classes even if they are not officially cancelled. It is easier to review with your child the educational material covered in his absence than to treat him for hypothermia and apply for sick leave at the clinic so as not to receive a reprimand at work from management.

The temperature at which school is canceled can range from -25 to -35 degrees. You will learn more detailed information on this topic from the materials in this article.

General information

As you know, children and adolescents spend almost all their time in general education institutions. That is why the conditions in which they live are very important for their parents. After all, room lighting and sanitary and hygienic indicators play a huge role for children's health and immunity. This is due to the fact that the characteristics of a small organism are such that even minor changes in the microclimate affect thermoregulation. Therefore, all schoolchildren are in dire need of ensuring maximum comfort and appropriate If such conditions are not met in an educational institution, then the heat transfer of the growing body increases noticeably. This often leads to hypothermia, which in most cases contributes to the appearance of colds.

In connection with all of the above, it should be noted that almost every parent of a schoolchild is interested in the question of what should be the temperature at which school is canceled? To answer this, you should turn to sanitary standards.

Sanitary standards

Surely every child knows in what weather school is canceled. After all, such changes allow you to “legally” skip classes. But in addition to the general condition (“extreme cold”), there is also a more specific temperature at which school is canceled.

As you know, the microclimate of any room depends on humidity, air temperature and the speed of its movement. Some of these indicators are quite easy to adjust. However, the air temperature in schools depends on several factors. One of them is the heat transfer of the heating system. Thus, if a general education institution is connected to a central heating system, then for a comfortable stay in the building, its management can additionally install radiators that will have high efficiency.

It should also be noted that tightly fitting doors and high-quality double-glazed windows help to maintain a normal temperature in the school. If such measures are not provided, then it is recommended that the educational institution keep a temperature log. To fill it out, measurements should be taken every day. In the future, the results should be presented to the heat supply company.

Existing indoor standards

What is the temperature at which school is canceled? This question concerns not only the air temperature outside, but also indoors. According to current standards, you can attend a general education institution under the following regime:

• from 15 degrees in school workshops and workshops;
• from 17 degrees in regular classrooms;
• from 15 degrees in the gym for physical education;
• from 16 degrees in the school’s general library;
• from 19 degrees in dressing rooms and locker rooms;
• from 17 degrees in restrooms;
• from 17 degrees in halls for cultural development (assembly halls);
• from 21 degrees in the medical office.

If the existing temperature in classrooms and other premises of the educational institution is below the specified norm, then the question of canceling all classes may well arise.

Does nature have bad weather?

When is school canceled? If you ask a schoolchild this question, you will hear the answer that most often this happens in winter. Indeed, the temperature inside an educational building cannot help but depend on the outside temperature. After all, as practice shows, even the thickest and highest quality doors and windows cannot save you from extreme cold. That is why winter frosts are very often a reason for “legal” absenteeism from school.

Existing standards

In our country, the following standards exist: if the temperature outside the window varies within -25...-40 degrees, then all educational institutions are required to cancel classes.

By the way, parents of schoolchildren are often interested in the question of what wind conditions cause school to be cancelled. After all, this parameter is also of great importance. So, if the wind is less than 2 meters per second, then all training sessions are canceled in the following mode:

• -30 degrees for those children studying in grades 1-4;
• -35 degrees for those children studying in grades 5-9;
• -40 degrees for those studying in grades 10-11.

Canceling classes in very strong winds

If the temperature outside exceeds 7 meters per second, then classes in schools are canceled at the following temperature values:

Why are classes cancelled?

Some people wonder why schools are sometimes canceled during the winter. As is known, such approximate standards are introduced in order to protect the health of schoolchildren and prevent them from hypothermia and frostbite.

How do you know about extreme air temperatures?

Local TV channels, print media and radio report about events that are unusual for certain regions of our country. Sometimes, with the help of the media, the population is informed about the closure of educational institutions for a certain period of time. However, the best way to find out whether school is canceled is to call your teacher, head teacher or class teacher.

It should also be noted that parents need to use common sense. After all, if there is severe frost outside, and the road to an educational institution turns into an extreme journey, then you should not let your child go to classes, even if they have not been officially cancelled. It is better to teach your child the educational material covered in his absence than to treat him later after hypothermia.

Will the six-day school day be canceled?

Discussions about its introduction in our country have been going on for quite some time. And just recently, the A Just Russia party introduced a corresponding bill to the State Duma. As you know, it provides for a compulsory five-day school week, but only for schoolchildren who study from 1st to 9th grades. As for older students (grades 10 and 11), only the school administration has the right to decide whether to cancel the six-day period or not, relying on its discretion.

As you know, the party was prompted to such a bill by data from the Ministry of Health. After all, as practice shows, recently the workload in general education institutions has increased so much that children have become sick much more often.

So when will the six-day period in schools be cancelled? It is proposed to introduce such a school week from September 1 of this year (2014).

Advantages and disadvantages

Of course, the fact that students will get an extra day off and be able to spend more time with their parents is the biggest benefit of this change. However, it also has significant drawbacks. Now the entire teaching load will be distributed not over six days, as before, but over five. In other words, the number of lessons will increase significantly. Moreover, students will have to do more homework.

The immediate decision to cancel classes at school due to frost is made by the school administration based on recommendations and orders from the educational authorities of the region or municipality. As a rule, an order is issued for the school. The school may cancel classes completely, or inform parents about the possibility of not attending classes during the cold season.

If attending school in cold weather affects the child’s health, the school will be held responsible. In accordance with the Federal Law “On Education in the Russian Federation,” responsibility for the life and health of children during the educational process rests with the educational organization.

At what temperature can you not go to school?

When making decisions to cancel classes, executive authorities of the constituent entities refer to letter No. 511-M of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR dated December 22, 1978:

grades 5-9 – minus 30°C and below;
10-11 grades – minus 31°C and below.

In municipalities where students are transported to their place of study, classes are canceled at the following outside air temperatures:

grades 1-4 – minus 25°C and below;
Grades 5-11 – minus 30°C and below.

Also, authorities and educational organizations refer to the decisions of the chief sanitary doctor of the region. Such decisions are advisory in nature. Different regions have their own temperature indicators at which it is recommended to cancel studies:

Central part of Russia, middle zone:
-23-25°C - grades 1-4;
-26-29°C - grades 1-9;
from -30°C - classes in all classes are cancelled.

In the Urals:
-25-28°C - grades 1-4;
-28-30°C - grades 1-9;
-30-32°C - classes are canceled in all classes.

In Siberia:
-30°C - grades 1-4;
-32-35°C - grades 1-9;
from -40°C - classes in all classes are cancelled.

In the northern regions of Russia:
from -40°C - grades 1-4;
from -48°C - grades 1-9;
from -50°C - classes in all classes are cancelled.

Frosty weather in Russia begins to set in in December. Cold weather travels through the regions until spring, and many schoolchildren dream of additional holidays on such days. Children rarely think about the fact that they will have to make up for lost time by studying hard afterwards.

Temperature values ​​for activated days

The decision to cancel classes due to severe frosts in schools in the Russian Federation is made either by education committees or school administrations. There are no clear standards; there are only recommendations from Rospotrebnadzor of the Russian Federation. School visits are canceled in each region of Russia independently, taking into account the climate, current weather conditions and the incidence of influenza and ARVI among students.

According to the recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor, students in grades 1-4 may not attend school when the temperature on the thermometer is -27oC, and students in grades 5-11 when the temperature is -30oC. Wind speed is also taken into account, which aggravates the effects of frosty air and leads to severe frostbite.

Often, younger schoolchildren do not attend classes even at -25°C and winds of more than 2.5 m/s, and high school students may be canceled from attending classes at -29°C and winds of more than 7 m/s. In the southern regions, the temperature bar for activated days is slightly higher, and in the northern regions, on the contrary, it is lower than the main values.

This is due to the ability of children in different climate zones to withstand cold weather. Children in the southern regions adapt less well to frost, while northern schoolchildren are more resistant to low winter temperatures.

During periods of influenza and ARVI epidemics, classes may be canceled not only for a few days, but also for the entire forecasted frosty period. In this case, children receive additional holidays. Then social networks come to the aid of teachers.

Lessons on social networks

On frosty days, when students stay at home, teachers give them assignments through social networks. This could be a group on Odnoklassniki or VKontakte, as well as special school websites. Assignments are given daily and checked by teachers either via the Internet or after the frost is lifted in schools.

In cold weather, parents have the right to leave their child at home or send him to classes, in which case all responsibility falls on them. If a child gets sick, there will be no one to blame. Small gaps in knowledge are much easier to fill. And additional rest for modern children is only beneficial.