COS Cut: Air-Conditioning in Every Classroom

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Sir, last year, I asked the Minister about thermal inequality in school classrooms. Research shows that each temperature degree of temperature increase cuts learning by 1% to 2%, hitting lower-income students hardest. The Minister acknowledged that. He listed measures, cool paint, faster fans, PE attire, mixed mode air conditioning for halls. For classrooms, continue to explore. If an unfair learning gap is forming, can we afford to wait?

Every MOE school is already air conditioned: computer labs, science labs, libraries, lecture theatres, staff rooms, admin offices, all air conditioned. The Ministry is now installing mixed mode air conditioning in school halls, so the electrical infrastructure is there. The condensers are there. The maintenance contracts are there. The only rooms without air conditioning are the classrooms where 420,000 children spend most of the day.

We should extend aircon to the rooms that matter most. A primary school teacher told me by 11.00 am in the morning, classrooms are unbearably hot. Fans just circulate hot air and create noise that drowns out teaching. Children cannot sit still. They ask to go to the toilet just to escape the heat. Teachers cannot teach effectively in that heat either.

An NUS study in Building and Environment found cognitive performance in Singapore's fan ventilated classrooms drops 9% in slightly warm conditions and 18% in warm conditions. There is no temperature standard for classrooms. To avoid thermal inequality, we should set one.

In 2023, the Government's Mercury Taskforce designated community centres and sports halls as airconditioned cooling spaces for the public. But for schools, reduce outdoor activities, relax dress code, send children home. So we will air condition community centres for adults, but close schools for the kids.

International schools and independent schools have aircon classrooms. Neighbourhood schools have ceiling fans. The children who can least afford the learning penalty are paying it. Capital cost, less than 100 million for all classrooms, under 1% of the MOE's budget paid once. On running costs, 130 schools already have rooftop solar under Solar Nova. Expand it to all schools and offset the additional electricity partially.

I am not asking to switch on aircon all day. Set a target temperature, switch on when the thermostat exceeds it. MOE headquarters (HQ) already runs a similar system, centralised aircon with automatic start times and cut offs. Just extend it to our classrooms.

Sir, two questions. Will MOE establish indoor temperature standards for classrooms? And will MOE commit to a timeline for a phased programme –beginning with primary schools – to install mixed mode air conditioning in all classrooms?