Overview
- School principals in Thuringia have flexible authority to respond to high temperatures and may shorten lessons, change rooms, move classes outdoors, or end the school day early.
- There is no fixed temperature threshold for granting 'hitzefrei' in Thuringia, so decisions are made case by case at each school rather than by a statewide rule.
- If a school ends lessons early for heat, it must respect legal supervision duties, keeping younger children and pupils who rely on school buses under care until the normal end of the day.
- The timing and method of informing parents about heat-related changes is set by each school, and the ministry advises that notices be sent early enough for families to arrange pickup or childcare.
- Workplaces do not grant a legal right to 'hitzefrei' for employees, but employers must implement heat-protection measures, and the state-level approach means parents and schools will need to coordinate locally during hot spells.