Schools save energy. Some will lower classroom temperatures in the winter
Prague’s primary schools cope with the energy crisis in different ways. “Our energy costs have doubled compared to 2021. Our school is located in new premises, from the beginning with several sources of heating, e.g. we use recuperation. The temperature control can be adjusted in each room separately, which means that we can plan and regulate it well in the room, just use it and reduce the temperature of the school at night,” says director Vela Kateřina Kuberová, adding that they are not planning major cost-saving measures at the moment, because they are trying to for a sustainable approach and does not overheat the premises.
Healthy hardening
Fourteen of the thirty-three schools that answered the question about energy savings will reduce the heating by 1 to 2 degrees. “It’s that we will lower the temperature in the classrooms, but I’m not worried about the winter, the children are warming themselves. We are a sports school, we will promote toughening up and we will focus on arguing to children that the government is not to blame for the problems, but Putin,” says Jana Churáčková, principal of ZŠ Eden, with a slight exaggeration.
Video, photo: The school has undergone a transformation, it now produces its own electricity
They don’t worry about the pupils even in ZŠ Mendelova. “Thanks to our own boiler room, we still heat very economically. We have an insulated school. Our pupils are hardy,” says school director Martina Thumsová. According to Veronika Simona Modráčková, the deputy director of the Veselá škola primary school, frequent outdoor activities are also a solution. If the weather permits, he spends time outside the school building with the students. Alternatively, they undertake thematic excursions and organize external teaching.
The schools agree that the comfort of the children and compliance with all the Ministry’s regulations are important to them. With the more prominent ones, they are therefore waiting for the case of the amended decree on measures in the classroom.
Energy costs are rising
Heating in schools is different. In some cases, it is provided by the founder, while other schools have fixed or capped prices, so they will not be significantly affected by the increase. Elsewhere, he heats his own boiler room. For some schools, however, costs are rising. “Last year we paid around a quarter of a million crowns for the whole year, this year, even before the eighty percent increase in energy prices, we paid up to nine hundred thousand crowns,” explains the director of the Brethren School of the Church, Rostislav Konopa, who fears that the increase in energy prices will be reflected to educational circles after school lessons. It is said that this could mainly affect the popular ceramics circle.
Photo, video: First day of school in Prague. The pupils were also welcomed by Spejbl and Hurvínek
Energy costs also increased at the elementary school in Prague 8 in Burešova Street. Compared to last year, they paid 750,000 more so far. Other schools are talking about a thirty percent or even double increase compared to last year. In addition to heating regulation, schools replace fluorescent lamps with more energy-efficient ones, supervise the extinguishing of unused rooms or observe the economical use of kettles by employees.
Note: All 304 elementary schools in Prague were contacted. Answers were sent by 33 directors and directors within the stipulated time.