Subsidy pot for ventilation almost empty
The subsidy scheme with which municipalities can tackle the ventilation of their school buildings has already come to an end. After six weeks, 547 applications were received, together accounting for 82 of the available 100 million euros.
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Since January 360 this year, municipalities have been able to apply for a subsidy for their school buildings in primary and secondary education for necessary improvements to the ventilation systems. The cabinet is spending 100 million euros on this. The first XNUMX million euros is in the Suvis scheme. The government finances 30 percent of the submitted plans. The other 70 percent must be invested by municipalities and school boards.
Grand and compelling
Around the turn of the year, various members of parliament asked questions about this distribution key. PvdA and GroenLinks asked education minister Arie Slob about municipalities that do not have enough money to pay with them. They also wanted to know whether schools in poorer municipalities have a chance of better ventilation. The Christian Union wondered whether school boards have sufficient resources to contribute.
Slob replied that he had not received any reports from schools in poorer communities. And that not all the necessary measures have to be 'grand and compelling'. The minister wrote that the grant amounts requested so far vary from a few hundred euros to one million euros.
Less than a third of schools have proper ventilation
Less than a third of all school buildings in primary and secondary vocational education have proven the ventilation to be in order. That became clear this autumn research of the National Coordination Team for ventilation in schools. Corona and the influence of ventilation on the spread of the virus have made the topic high on the agenda. Many schools now choose to regularly throw up their windows. This year, the outgoing cabinet will determine how the remaining 260 million euros will be spent on ventilation in schools.
The renovations with Suvis money must start between October 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021. It must be completed by the end of 2023 at the latest. Marco van Zandwijk works for Ruimte-OK, the national knowledge center for educational housing. He explains that the scheme is deliberately 'broadly formulated'. And goes beyond the corona crisis.
“In 2009, 150 million euros were already invested in improving the indoor climate,” says Van Zandwijk. “In the end, many schools had ventilation systems that are expensive to use. That is why schools must now also spend the money from the scheme on CO2 monitoring and energy management. Energy-saving or supplying measures are also eligible for a subsidy. If you do not arrange anything in this area, the costs for ventilation will rise unnecessarily high.”
CO2 meter belongs in the back of the classroom, by the window
Wim Zeiler, professor of ventilation technology at Eindhoven University of Technology, emphasizes that indoor climate in schools is a complex subject. And it listens closely. One of Zeiler's students recently conducted research into where the CO2 meter should hang in the classroom in order to show the best - read: most unfavorable - result. It's in the back of the room, by the window. Zeiler: “While the meters are usually placed at the entrance.” Research is also being carried out into the quality of the meters themselves.
In the meantime, all kinds of market parties are popping up in the education sector, suggesting simple solutions. Such as air purifiers based on UV radiation and ionization. Expensive devices whose effect against Covid19 or for a better indoor climate in school classes has not been scientifically proven. Maurice de Hond, who was influential in corona times, among others, points to it tweets regularly.
Seven-step plan
Van Zandwijk of Ruimte-OK refers schools and interested teachers to a guide that the knowledge center made together with the PO Council and the VO Council. It contains a seven-step plan towards better ventilation. Also the AOb wrote a guide to ventilation for primary education.
Are you a member of a (g) mr and do you want to know more? Then check the corona FAQ on 'Ventilation' and 'MR and OR'.
