CHENNAI: In a major push to strengthen climate literacy and protect students from rising heat stress, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday launched Climate Education and Cool Roof initiatives across 300 Green Schools, marking a significant step towards building climate-resilient educational infrastructure.
Minister for Finance and Environment, Climate Change, Thangam Thennarasu and Minister for School Education, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, launched the initiative.
The Climate Education initiative, anchored under the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission and announced in the 2025–26 State Budget, aims to institutionalise climate literacy within the school education system. As part of the programme, 4,000 teachers from all 38 districts will be trained as volunteer "Climate Ambassadors" to lead climate awareness and action at the school level.
Alongside education reforms, several government schools have reported indoor classroom temperatures ranging between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius, significantly affecting learning outcomes.
A pilot project implemented at the Ambattur Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Government Girls Higher Secondary School demonstrated promising results, reducing indoor temperatures by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius.
The impact of the Green School Scheme was highlighted through findings from a study conducted by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS). According to the study, rooftop solar installations have reduced grid electricity consumption by around 46 per cent per school, resulting in annual savings of approximately Rs 26,000 per institution.
The study further estimated that scaling the model to all 45,000 government schools across the State could offset electricity consumption equivalent to nearly 91 per cent of the current usage by all government and aided educational institutions and hospitals.