Would you send your child to a school without clean water or proper food hygiene? Then why are we accepting dirty air?

Every day across the UK, children sit in classrooms breathing air that could be harming their health, limiting their ability to learn, and affecting their futures. It’s a problem we’ve let drift for too long — and particularly in the wake of an airborne pandemic it’s time we dealt with it.

The Hidden Danger in Our Schools

We don’t always see the effects of poor indoor air, but they are very real. Children with asthma are more likely to have flare-ups in classrooms where air quality is poor. Other children might simply feel run down more often, missing school because of repeated colds or viral infections. Teachers regularly observe what the research confirms: when the air is heavy or stale, pupils find it harder to concentrate, stay alert, or retain information.

And the risks posed by poor indoor air aren’t evenly spread. Children are especially vulnerable to airborne pollutants because of how their bodies work. They breathe more air in proportion to their size than adults do, and with lungs and immune systems still developing, their ability to filter out or fight off irritants is reduced.

What’s harder to understand is that, unlike outdoor air — which is subject to legally enforced limits in the UK — indoor air in schools has, in effect, no binding standards. Yes, if you look you’ll find regulations which govern it, but even before we consider the adequacy of the regulation, its enforcement is non-existent. 

Children spend over 30 hours a week in classrooms, yet the air they breathe is largely unregulated.

How Far Behind Are We?

We often talk about being a country that leads on health and education. But when it comes to the air children breathe indoors, the UK is, frankly, lagging behind its peers.

• In Germany, indoor air quality in public buildings is protected by legally binding standards, and regular monitoring is expected. 
• Sweden actively manages carbon dioxide in classrooms, with occupancy dependent requirements to keep ventilation rates at or above 7L/s/ person. This is because they understand how CO₂ affects children’s ability to think clearly and how easily viruses spread in stuffy indoor spaces. 
• The Netherlands sets formal targets for indoor air pollutants in schools while Canada not only tracks indoor air quality but runs public campaigns so parents know why it matters.

Here in the UK, we have indoor air quality regulations that, in effect, aren’t mandatory. There might be something written down somewhere, but it’s not being checked or enforced. The air in our schools just isn’t being prioritised in the way it should be.

If children missed days because of food served at school, we’d demand an investigation and quick action. When poor air leads to the exact same problems, it barely registers as a policy concern.

The Solutions Are Within Reach

The good news is this isn’t a complex problem to solve. Classrooms don’t need futuristic tech or massive budgets to improve air quality. There is abundant evidence that a mix of basic ventilation, supplemental filtration, and simple monitoring makes an appreciable difference. These are infrastructure basics — no more extravagant than having toilets that connect to a sanitation system, clean tap water and fridges that keep food cool.

Clean air belongs on the same list of essentials as proper sanitation, clean drinking water and food hygiene.

A Real-World Response: Burley Oaks Primary

At Burley Oaks Primary School in West Yorkshire, these concerns aren’t being ignored. With help from the Corsi-Rosenthal Foundation, the school has started installing air purifiers in classrooms and shared areas. They are taking a practical, evidence based step towards cleaner air and a healthier learning environment.
Air purifiers help to remove airborne particles, including dust, allergens, and viruses. It’s not a panacea, but it’s a meaningful improvement being funded by community support.

If you'd like to be part of this effort, you can help fund the next unit here, and remember that every £1 helps:
https://justgiving.com/campaign/cleanairburleyoaks

Each purifier costs £170 and supports a full classroom of 30 children. Every donation helps.

Time for Change

We need to stop treating clean air in schools as something we cannot or don’t need to address. Like food safety or toilet access, it should be standard — and expected — in every classroom, for every child.

What You Can Do

Your voice matters. This is a policy gap we can’t afford to ignore — but it won’t close without pressure from people who care.

- Ask your child’s school what they’re doing about indoor air
- Raise the issue with your MP and local council. We’ve drafted a letter you can use here
- Share this article and help us start a wider conversation
- Support groups working to improve air quality in education settings
- Donate to practical projects like the Burley Oaks campaign, where change is already underway:
https://justgiving.com/campaign/cleanairburleyoaks

Clean air in schools should be considered as essential as clean drinking water. Our children certainly deserve that much.

Will you help us push for better air in our Children’s schools?