Schools struggle with aging air conditioners during heatwave

A middle school in Incheon held shortened classes for a week last month as a heatwave pushed classroom temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, making it difficult for students to concentrate. Although each classroom had an air conditioner, the units were more than 12 years old and could not cool the rooms effectively. “Last year, the classrooms were hot due to broken air conditioners, and nothing has changed this year,” a parent at the school said.

As the school season for elementary, middle, and high schools begins on Aug. 18, most regions nationwide are under heatwave warnings. Data from the Ministry of Education, obtained by Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the National Assembly’s Education Committee, show that one in six classroom air conditioners has exceeded the ministry’s recommended 12-year replacement cycle. As of June, 72,874 of the country’s 445,911 air conditioners in elementary, middle, high, and special schools, or about 16.3 percent, were past the recommended age.

By region, Daejeon had the highest share of aging air conditioners, with 28.5 percent of units exceeding the recommended lifespan. Incheon followed with 25.1 percent, Gyeonggi with 20.2 percent, and Gwangju with 20.1 percent. In Seoul, 18.8 percent of air conditioners were more than 12 years old, and 3,358 units had been in use for over 20 years. Air conditioners typically last 10 to 15 years, making replacement urgent for units more than 20 years old because of concerns over performance, safety, and cost.

Concerns have been raised that cooling equipment will need close monitoring as heatwaves are expected to continue through the rest of the summer. The Korea Meteorological Administration said on Aug. 18 that heatwave warnings will remain in effect across most regions until Aug. 24, with apparent temperatures expected to reach as high as 33 degrees Celsius. It also noted that average temperatures for this month and next are more than 50% likely to exceed historical averages.

Critics say it is difficult to understand why aging air conditioners are not replaced on time, given that trillions of won in local education grants go unused or are carried over each year. In schools, air conditioner replacements are often deprioritized in favor of governors’ flagship projects, including building new gymnasiums. “Although schools receive grants for equipment replacement, budget allocation and execution are under the authority of local governments, so we cannot mandate replacements," an Education Ministry official said.


이수연 기자 lotus@donga.com