France braces for 40°C heatwave during baccalaureate exams, oral tests may be postponed

Heatwave timeline and intensity

A heatwave is settling over France starting Wednesday, June 17, and is forecast to intensify through the week. Météo-France forecaster Christelle Robert stated that a heatwave episode is progressively taking hold, with most regions seeing temperatures between 30°C and 35°C on Wednesday. Peaks of 36°C to 37°C are possible in the South-West, Centre-West, and Centre-East. Only Brittany and the Channel coastal zones are currently spared. By Sunday, during the Fête de la Musique and summer solstice, several regions could see temperatures spike to 40°C.

A heatwave episode is progressively setting in this week over the country, and already on Wednesday, the heat will intensify.

The phenomenon extends beyond France. The UK Met Office has warned temperatures will climb through the week, potentially approaching 30°C in south-east England on Friday. In Spain, thermometers could near 40°C on Monday, according to Météo-France forecasts.

Exams under strain

Written baccalaureate exams began on Monday, June 15, with philosophy, and continue through Thursday with specialty subject tests. All written exams this year are scheduled for the morning, a measure Education Minister Édouard Geffray defended, stating that afternoon exams in May or June are no longer acceptable. For the Landes department, over 2,000 candidates are sitting exams this week, with local schools deploying early-morning ventilation, bottled water, and small-group arrangements in north-facing rooms to keep indoor temperatures between 20°C and 22°C.

We can no longer afford to have exams today, in May or June, that take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., it's not possible.

Oral exams may be postponed

French oral exams and the grand oral, scheduled to begin next week, may be postponed locally by a few hours or a few days if temperatures in specific exam centres become too high. Geffray announced the measure on Tuesday, June 16, following an inter-ministerial meeting on the heatwave, framing it as a way to provide decent conditions for both students and staff who spend six to seven hours a day conducting orals. He noted that such postponements should be a last resort.

In the event that the temperature in a given exam centre is too high, we will authorise locally to shift by a few days or a few hours the exams that would take place in the afternoon in establishments that are too hot.

School adaptations and future changes

Beyond the baccalaureate, adaptations may also apply to nursery and primary schools, including adjusted hours and, as a last resort, school closures. Geffray recalled that over 2,000 schools were closed during the July heatwave last year. He also announced that from next year, no exams, including the professional baccalaureate and the brevet, will be held in the afternoon. Teachers on the ground, however, describe a lack of preparation, with one union representative noting that apart from a few bottles of water and occasionally a single fan per room, schools have little to combat the heat.

We are in the most total lack of preparation. Management staff are trying to find the shadiest rooms, in buildings that allow it, but otherwise we have nothing, except a few bottles of water and possibly a pitiful fan per room.

Broader impacts

The heat is also expected to slow economic activity. EDF is considering production cuts at two of its nuclear power plants in the affected region due to the high temperatures.