A case in the Austrian state of Carinthia has parents outraged after a school told students to dress warmly and bring thick blankets because the classrooms cannot be heated properly. The news comes shortly after Russia announced last month it was cutting natural gas supplies to Austria, highlighting the country’s ongoing energy crisis.
One mother said that she asked a teacher about the heating situation, the teacher replied that they cannot influence the temperature in the classroom, since the temperature is set by the state, which is seeking to save on energy costs. The school currently has no way of changing the settings, according to Austrian newspaper Exxpress.
“Is this normal in Austria?” the mother asked.
So far, the school has not officially responded to angry parents. However, Austria and many parts of Europe are expected to struggle with heating in 2024.
So far, it is the only school reporting this issue in the Austrian state.
The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) has called for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and a pro-peace policy to help with energy burdens in Austria. It is also calling on the government to enact more business-friendly policies to help with energy costs.
“Instead of focusing on Austria’s interests, the black-green coalition has not only prevented urgently needed location policy measures in the interests of the domestic economy and industry, but has also accepted the expiration of essential support for Austrians at the end of 2024 and thus additional burdens, particularly in the energy sector. From today’s perspective, a number of relief measures, particularly in the energy sector, such as the reduced electricity and natural gas tax or the currently uncollected renewable energy subsidy and the renewable energy subsidy contribution, will be eliminated at the end of 2024,” said FPÖ economic spokesman Axel Kassegger.
“In addition, electricity and gas network costs are rising massively, which will lead to enormous additional burdens for the Austrian population. Industry is still waiting for the extension of the Electricity Price Cost Compensation Act to relieve the burden on energy-intensive industry in particular. An extension of these measures this year is therefore a must, because time is of the essence,” he added.