Education Secretary of State Teodoro Lonfernini has weighed in on the request to install air conditioning in San Marino’s schools. His remarks come after a group of parents collected 1,018 signatures and submitted the petition to the Education Secretariat and the Department of Education. Lonfernini says the matter is already under discussion within the Congress of State, and points to the buildings used for summer camps as a possible starting point.
Below is his statement in full:
«I understand and appreciate the concerns raised by families. We are already discussing the matter within the Congress of State, together with my colleague Ciacci from the Territory Secretariat, in order to find possible solutions — even if implemented gradually, given how numerous our school buildings are. We could start by selecting those used mainly during the summer for the summer camps, which host young children. I believe the offices are already working on this too, so that we can provide clear and realistic answers ahead of next summer season. This is a commitment we feel very strongly about, because summer camps have become a fully integrated part of the extracurricular offer for families. Summers are certainly getting hotter. It’s true that the school facilities used for summer camps also offer outdoor spaces, but that’s not the case in every building, and activities aren’t always held outdoors. We believe strongly in the new summer camp project, which — quite apart from the heat issue — was extremely well received this year. We want to keep investing, and investing also means providing suitable environments to welcome our children during the hottest time of the year».
