Energy costs: Wear more clothes if its cold, pupils and staff told
Brian Guthrie, principal of Ebrington Primary School in Londonderry said asking children to sit in a class wearing extra clothes is “ridiculous”. “I’m not going be asking children and staff to put coats and hats on during the winter time. “We will be running the heat as we need it but we do look at…
Brian Guthrie, principal of Ebrington Primary School in Londonderry said asking children to sit in a class wearing extra clothes is “ridiculous”.
“I’m not going be asking children and staff to put coats and hats on during the winter time.
“We will be running the heat as we need it but we do look at all other energy saving costs as we can,” he told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme.
Guthrie said his school building is around ten years old and is, at present “very energy efficient”.
The installation of 100 solar panels last year, he added, should “have paid itself back” over the next five years.
Children need to be taught in “an ambient classroom”, he said. Adding the EA should “look at other ways of saving in schools”.
Meanwhile, Emma Quinn from Rathcoole Primary told BBC Good Morning Ulster that the “lack of maintenance” has an impact on schools, adding that pupils have a right to come into a warm school after being outside.
“Putting this pressure onto us at the minute is ridiculous, when we are eco schools, we are doing all of these, we are turning off lights, but yet this lands in on our doorstep.
“We’re suddenly expected to jump and to fix a problem that is so systemic, it’s just not good enough.”
