Leuven School Heating Crisis: Principal Gerd Ronsmans Suspends Classes for 50 Students

Leuven (Eurotoday): The school faced heating issues post-autumn break, affecting nursery and first-grade classrooms. Director Gerd Ronsmans closed the school for the day, relocating 50 children to a heated building.

After the autumn break, the school faced heating problems that affected the nursery and first-grade classrooms. Director Gerd Ronsmans noted that the issue was less serious for toddlers, as their active play helped keep them warm, especially since the weather wasn’t too cold. However, the school still needed extra steps to ensure the children’s comfort.

What measures are being taken to keep first graders warm during heating issues?

It has been said that the situation was tougher for first graders, who spend a lot of time sitting still in class. With not enough heating, it became very cold for them. To help, the school asked parents to dress their kids warmly. Toddlers were encouraged to wear fleece jackets or onesies, while first graders were bundled up to stay warm. These measures were necessary to keep the children comfortable until the heating system could be repaired.

A few electric heaters were set up in classrooms, but the school’s electrical system couldn’t support them, causing temperatures to drop to 11 degrees. The director decided to close the nursery school and first grade. Parents were notified, and most found alternative childcare, while around 50 children are being cared for in another building with working heating. The school plans to reopen on Monday after adding more electrical support for the heaters and fixing the heating boiler. The director expressed hope that the repair issues would be resolved soon, as he is worried about the cold winter ahead.


Comments

3 responses to “Leuven School Heating Crisis: Principal Gerd Ronsmans Suspends Classes for 50 Students”

  1. What a brilliant strategy—who needs education when you can turn the classroom into a chilly adventure park? Maybe the kids can earn some extra credits in “Surviving the Great Leuven Freeze”! ❄️😏

  2. Dr. 
Cocktail Avatar
    Dr. Cocktail

    Well, nothing says “learning” like sitting in a classroom colder than a Brussels winter, eh? 🤣 Even the toddlers know that playtime is the best way to avoid frostbite!

  3. Sky Herald Avatar

    Well, isn’t that just peachy? Nothing like a little frostbite to spice up the curriculum—who needs field trips when you can have “Surviving the Winter Wonderland” as a lesson plan? 🥶📚

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Last News

The EU’s Plan to Revive Its Frontline Regions

The EU’s Plan to Revive Its Frontline Regions

The conflict in Ukraine is impacting life far beyond the war zone.
In this episode of the Brussels Playbook Podcast, hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart discuss the European Commission’s new initiative to assist EU regions adjacent to Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine — such as eastern Poland, the Baltics, and Finland — where investment has declined, trade patterns have changed, and security issues

Read More

Four Years of War in Ukraine: Childhood ‘Moved Underground,’ Displacement Persists – UN Humanitarians

Four Years of War in Ukraine: Childhood ‘Moved Underground,’ Displacement Persists – UN Humanitarians

UNICEF representative in Ukraine, Munir Mammadzade, reported from a basement in Kherson that the city faces “constant fire,” with daily attacks destroying homes, infrastructure, and essential services for children and families.
“I have been constantly hearing artillery shelling,” he stated, describing another “massive, coordinated attack” that affected civilian and energy infrastructure overnig

Read More

How the Global Effort to Keep AI Safe Went Off the Rails

How the Global Effort to Keep AI Safe Went Off the Rails

The Trump administration is heavily invested in promoting AI success globally, marking a significant effort for the U.S. government, according to Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade William Kimmitt at a Washington event this month.
American companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta are announcing significant investments in India, gaining an advantage over China, which is sending a

Read More

IOC Receives Criticism for Berlin 1936 Olympic T-shirt

IOC Receives Criticism for Berlin 1936 Olympic T-shirt

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is under fire after a T-shirt featuring elements linked to the 1936 Berlin Olympics appeared in official Olympic online stores and quickly sold out. Holocaust organizations and German politicians argue the item echoes Nazi-era propaganda aesthetics and should not be commercialized without context. The IOC says the limited-run product is about protecting t

Read More

Panel Criticizes EU Nations for Attempting to Oust UN’s Albanese Over Israel-Gaza Comments

Panel Criticizes EU Nations for Attempting to Oust UN’s Albanese Over Israel-Gaza Comments

The Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council issued a statement condemning actions by Ministers from certain states for using fabricated facts and criticizing Ms. Albanese for comments she never made.
In her speech, Albanese mentioned, “We as a humanity have a common enemy.” She clarified during her remarks and afterward that she was referring to a &

Read More

Spain Investigates Platforms Over AI-Generated Child Abuse Images

Spain Investigates Platforms Over AI-Generated Child Abuse Images

Spain has initiated a new legal approach against major social media platforms, requesting prosecutors to investigate Meta, TikTok, and X for allegations of circulating AI-generated child sexual abuse material on their services. Announced on 17 February 2026, this move reflects Europe’s intensified response to the role of generative AI in creating and spreading illegal images online.
Prime Ministe

Read More

SONDAGE EXCLUSIF : À Nice, Éric Ciotti devance Christian Estrosi de 10 points

SONDAGE EXCLUSIF : À Nice, Éric Ciotti devance Christian Estrosi de 10 points

Dans les intentions de vote, Eric Ciotti arrive en tête, principalement en raison du soutien des électeurs de droite et d’extrême droite, majoritaires dans la Baie des Anges, selon Jean-Yves Dormagen, président de Cluster 17. Ciotti, à la tête de l’UDR, micro-parti qu’il a fondé après avoir quitté Les Républicains en 2024, séduit une grande partie des électeurs qui avaient voté L

Read More

Bahrain Ambassador Welcomed to Utah by Elder Bednar

Bahrain Ambassador Welcomed to Utah by Elder Bednar

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints welcomed the Bahrain Ambassador to the United States to Church headquarters in Salt Lake City on Thursday, February 12, 2026.
This was the first official visit of His Excellency Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashid Al Khalifa to Temple Square, following visits with Church leaders and Bahraini leader

Read More

Nigel Farage Reveals His Leading Team

Nigel Farage Reveals His Leading Team

Robert Jenrick has been named “shadow chancellor” by Reform after defecting from the Conservatives to Reform UK last month. He has overtaken both Deputy Leader Richard Tice and Head of Policy Zia Yusuf for the position.
Jenrick is set to deliver a speech in the City of London on Wednesday to present his economic plans. On Tuesday, he criticized the “decades of mismanagement” of the UK

Read More

Ocean Learning: Bringing the Sea into Every Classroom

Ocean Learning: Bringing the Sea into Every Classroom

Approximately 40% of the EU’s population resides within 50 kilometres of the coast, with significant parts of the economy, climate resilience, and wellbeing linked to healthy oceans and seas. Despite this proximity, there remains a limited understanding of ocean functions and human impacts on it.
“People live by the sea and depend on it but lack knowledge about it,” said Melita Mokos, a marine

Read More