Short School Week: What is the Real Energy Saving?

What is the real energy saving of the short week at school? For some years now, that of the short week It has become a hotly debated topic. Some people extol the advantages of the short week, such as the possibility of taking an extra day away from school or the office, while others highlight its disadvantages.

For example, many argue that this system would only increase the study load (or work) weekly, with rather relative advantages and evident critical issues.

Whatever the opinion on this topic, one thing is certain regarding energy saving: the short school week could actually reduce electricity consumptionand can also help the environment in several other ways.

In short, eliminate a day from the school week could reduce pollution. But what is the real environmental benefit of this strategy?

Short Week and Energy Saving: How Much Does a School Consume?

Eliminating one day a week from the school calendar is considered a useful step to address the current energy crisis. But why? To answer this question, it must be remembered that, in order to accommodate students, teachers and all school staff, buildings must meet some essential requirements.

For example, the presence of a good lighting system; must be present heating and air conditioning systemsand computers and other essential technological supports certainly cannot be missing.

Finally, many schools have refreshment areas, the so-called school canteens. All this, of course, entails a certain expenditure of energywhich would be reduced simply by shortening the week to 5 days and eliminating Saturday from the calendar.

Keeping the school closed one more day means not having to turn on the lights or the heating and air cooling systems, it means leaving computers, interactive whiteboards or electronic whiteboards turned off, and all the other services necessary for the smooth continuation of the school day.

To do this, of course, students should enter school a little earlier and leave a little laterbut doing so would reduce the energy consumption needed to make the building functional and welcoming on a daily basis.

The environmental benefits of the short week

Still from an environmental point of view, energy saving is not the only positive aspect of the short week.

Other elements must also be taken into consideration, such as the reduction of commuting home-school (which also includes private means of transport used for travel, such as cars and motorbikes). By eliminating one day from the school week, we would obtain a reduction of polluting emissionssuch as CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

At the moment, the short week is an option being tested in many schools. Whether this is actually advantageous for students, teachers and other workers in the sector we cannot yet say. However, several studies have revealed that thanks to this redistribution we would experience advantages such as a increased productivity it’s a greater home-school balanceas well as a strengthened sense of well-being.

What seems clear is that this strategy could provide several benefits on the energy and environmental levels.