The Nationalist Party has called for urgent measures to ensure adequate cooling and ventilation in schools after students and invigilators complained of having to sit MATSEC resit examinations in excessive heat due to a lack of air conditioning, the party said in a statement.

The PN said it was concerned about the conditions being experienced by students sitting the examinations, saying it had received reports that a number of students were having to sit important exams in what it described as "unbearable heat".

Over the past few days, several students and examination invigilators complained about the conditions in which the resit examinations were being held at the height of summer, while the party said it had also received reports from parents whose children were experiencing the same situation.

"This is unacceptable," the PN said.

"Students are sitting examinations that may be decisive for their future, and they have the right to do so in a safe, dignified environment that is conducive to learning and concentration. We cannot speak about improving the quality of education when even the most basic conditions are not being guaranteed."

Concerns about high temperatures in schools are not new. Parents complained about children enduring "sweltering heat" during summer school earlier this year, with reports of schools either lacking air conditioning or having systems which were not functioning.

Malta Union of Teachers president Marco Bonnici told Times of Malta at the time that there was no comprehensive plan for air conditioning across schools despite their use throughout the year, adding that some refurbished schools had air conditioning but the power supply was not sufficient to cater for increased demand.

The Education Ministry had said that improving the teaching and working environment in schools was a priority and that the installation of air conditioning in remaining schools would take place through a phased programme over the coming years, alongside upgrades to ventilation systems and other infrastructure. Prime Minister Robert Abela had pledged in 2022 to install air conditioning in all schools in Malta and Gozo as part of an extensive investment in school infrastructure.

In its statement, the PN said it had long insisted that education required more resources, greater investment and a clear long-term plan.

More recently, it said, the party had called on the government to accelerate the programme to equip schools with adequate air-conditioning systems, together with immediate measures such as improved ventilation to protect students and educators from excessive heat.

The PN called for a clear and urgent plan to ensure that schools are equipped with adequate cooling and ventilation systems, as well as greater investment in school infrastructure, covering both new projects and continuous preventive maintenance.

It also called for immediate measures to be introduced during heatwaves, particularly when examinations and resits are taking place, together with the further installation of photovoltaic panels on school rooftops.

The party said more resources should also be allocated to education so that investment in the sector keeps pace with the real needs of students and educators.

"Quality in education does not begin with slogans. It begins by providing students and educators with the environment they deserve," the PN said.

"If we truly want to make a leap forward in quality, we must first ensure that the foundations are sound. It is evident that major shortcomings still remain in those foundations, including in the most basic of areas."

The party said it would continue listening to students, parents and educators and putting forward what it described as concrete solutions to ensure schools provide a dignified environment for children's education.

The statement was signed by Shadow Minister for Education and Citizenship Jerome Caruana Cilia.