Chita School Freezes as Sweaters Allegedly Banned

Students of School No. 27, located in the Severny microdistrict in Chita, told a correspondent of Chita.Ru on February 5 that it is very cold in the building, but they are allegedly forbidden to wear sweaters. The city Education Committee responded that the temperature in the school is normal.

“It’s just terribly cold in School No. 27, there are no 18 degrees °C (64 °F), it’s consistently 13 degrees °C (55 °F). Maybe in the second shift it’s 18 degrees °C (64 °F), but in the first shift it’s just terrible,” the students said.

According to them, the problem has been going on since approximately December 20. And they are forbidden to wear sweaters, with officials claiming it is not that cold.

According to the press secretary of the Education Committee, Geser Radnaev, representatives of Rospotrebnadzor (Russia’s consumer rights watchdog) and the prosecutor’s office visited the school today to check the heating conditions.

“According to the results of the inspection, it was established that the school’s temperature regime complies with SanPiN (sanitary norms). At the time of the inspection, the temperature in the building was 18–23 degrees °C (64–73 °F). The Chita Education Committee monitors and controls the temperature regime in all educational institutions of the regional capital on a daily basis,” Radnaev added.

In January and December, students and their parents often complained about various schools in Zabaykalsky Krai, where due to frost, the dilapidated state of buildings, and insufficient heat supply, the temperature in classrooms dropped. The latest information was about School No. 49 in Severny: parents complained about the cold and a changed menu — students were only being fed porridge. Regarding the temperature, the Education Committee said at the time that everything was fine, and concerning the meals, they promised to conduct an inspection.