Heat-free at the start of school: Schools in Lower Saxony are shortening lessons!

Heat-free at the start of school: Schools in Lower Saxony are shortening lessons!

The new school year starts in Lower Saxony on Thursday, August 13, 2025 - and with a lot of heat. The first schools have already announced heat-free periods when temperatures exceed 30 degrees. However, this does not necessarily mean a complete cancellation of classes; There may also be shortened teaching hours. The NDR reports that, for example, the Burgdorf high school in the Hanover region gives all students, including the upper grades, a break from heat after the fourth hour.

In Hildesheim, several schools, including the Scharnhorstgymnasium, have also announced shortened lessons for the first day of school after the summer holidays. The Johannes Kepler High School in Garbsen and the Tellkampf School in Hanover also let the school bells ring earlier. Such measures are not new, but have become increasingly important due to the recent extreme temperatures in Lower Saxony. The Ministry of Culture recently updated the regulations on this, giving schools more scope for action.

Expanded regulations and scope for action

With the new requirements from June 27, 2025, schools at the upper secondary level and at public vocational schools can now also grant heat-free access. Previously, these regulations were only limited to primary and lower secondary education. The Ministry of Culture makes it clear that school management makes the decision about heat-free. This happens when high temperatures in the school building significantly affect teaching and other forms of teaching are not effective. The school management has a good knack for ensuring the physical well-being of everyone involved, emphasizes Education Minister Julia Willie Hamburg Lower Saxony state government reported.

An important aspect of the new regulation is also the information given to legal guardians. They must be fully informed about possible changes to lessons when heat-free is announced. In addition, supervisory obligations must continue to be fulfilled for students who come to school despite class cancellations. In primary school, students are only allowed to go home with the consent of their legal guardians, which underlines the safety of children in the heat situation.

A look at the coming years

According to the analysis, extreme heat waves will probably occur more frequently in Lower Saxony. The Ministry of Culture has reacted and adapted the regulations in order to respond more adaptably to the current climatic conditions. In the future, when it is very hot, lessons in full-time school courses that do not lead to a vocational school qualification can even be continued in the form of distance learning or self-organized learning. This gives schools and teachers the opportunity to react flexibly to the challenging weather conditions.

In order to communicate and clarify these new regulations, a consultation process for changes to public vocational schools will also be initiated. Lower Saxony is thus embarking on a path that better meets the needs of schools and students. The adjustments underline that the Ministry of Education is focusing on the health and well-being of students. With measures like these, we will be able to ensure orderly school operations even on hot days.

The new regulations take modern school life into account and show that a considered and flexible approach to dealing with climate factors is necessary. The duty of supervision and the chain of information are essential to ensure that everyone involved remains well informed and safe. The start of school in Lower Saxony could be quite exciting! Further information on the topic can be found on the Lower Saxony education portal under this link.