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Belgian Cinemas Offer Cool Retreat for Schools During Heatwave

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Belgian cinemas UGC Turnhout and Lommel are offering their air-conditioned screening rooms to schools during hot weather.
  • Schools can use the facilities free of charge during the mornings on Thursday and Friday to escape high classroom temperatures.
  • The initiative aims to allow students to continue attending school despite uncomfortable heat, with some schools also planning events like proclamations in the cinemas.

Cinemas in Turnhout and Lommel, Belgium, are opening their doors to local schools, offering a cool refuge from the summer heat. UGC cinemas in both cities will provide their air-conditioned screening rooms free of charge to schools on Thursday and Friday, allowing students and teachers to escape classrooms that have become too hot for learning.

Bert Hermans, the manager of UGC Turnhout, explained that the initiative stems from hearing about the extreme heat in classrooms. "We hear from various schools, including my son's, that it is very hot in class," Hermans said. "Children are sometimes allowed to stay home, but I think it is important that they can still go to school in the last days of the school year." The cinemas offer a comfortable 23 degrees Celsius, a stark contrast to the potentially much higher temperatures in school buildings.

We hear from various schools, including my son's, that it is very hot in class. Children are sometimes allowed to stay home, but I think it is important that they can still go to school in the last days of the school year.

— Bert HermansManager of UGC Turnhout, explaining the motivation behind offering cinema halls to schools.

The offer is intended for educational purposes, with schools able to conduct lessons in the cinema halls. Hermans noted that it could be an enjoyable experience for children to have lessons projected on the big screen. Some schools have also expressed interest in using the space for events like their end-of-year proclamations. For instance, one school plans to hold its proclamation at the cinema because their own hall is currently reaching 32 degrees Celsius.

In Lommel, UGC cinema will also open its screening rooms in the morning, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., for educational use. After these hours, the cinemas will resume their regular film screenings. Schools need to act quickly to arrange their visits, and transportation for the children must be considered. UGC Turnhout has nine screening rooms, while UGC Lommel has five, providing ample space for multiple schools to benefit from the initiative.

In our halls, it is a pleasant 23 degrees.

— Bert HermansManager of UGC Turnhout, highlighting the temperature difference between the cinema and classrooms.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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