Earlier this week, I found myself reading a Channel NewsAsia article about Singapore’s overheated classrooms while sitting in my furnace (otherwise known as my living room at 33 degrees).

The ceiling fan was valiantly spinning, but the air felt like soup.

As I scrolled through the article, one line made me pause: students are expected to “build resilience” by enduring stifling classrooms, while experts (comments presumably made in their own air-conditioned offices) argue against installing air con in schools.

That was the moment something snapped.

By the third paragraph, I was so incensed that I did the unthinkable: I turned on the air con at 3pm, peak hour tariff be damned, and sat down to write this article.

If I’m going to be mad about the heat, I might as well be cool while doing it.

If Resilience Is So Good, Why Not Make Everyone Sweat?

It struck me as deeply unfair.

Here I was, escaping the heat with the flick of a switch, while our students were told to just “tough it out.”

The suggestion that students should tough it out in sweltering classrooms is, frankly, a bit rich coming from those who have never had to sit through a double period of mathematics in 33-degree heat.

If resilience is the name of the game, why stop at schools?

Should we not also ban air conditioning in offices?

Imagine the plight of executives, managers, and civil servants sweating through their shirts, their productivity evaporating faster than a cold drink in the sun.

Would our economy survive such a bold experiment?

Or would we all just end up cranky, distracted, and (let’s face it) less effective at our jobs?

Air Con: The Real Secret to Academic Glory?

But here’s the rub: air conditioning isn’t just about comfort.

It’s about performance.

Studies show that students in cooler classrooms do better.

Their brains work better.

Their test scores go up.

If the Ministry of Education is looking for a simple hack to boost our PISA rankings, this is it.

Forget about more tuition or fancy gadgets.

Just install aircon.

It’s the cheapest and most effective educational intervention since the invention of the pencil. (Move over, ChatGPT.)

Teachers: Still Human, Not Heat-Resistant Robots

And let’s not forget the teachers.

The Ministry of Education’s teacher attrition rate hovers around 4% a year (MOE, 2023) which is remarkably low by international standards, but still a worrying trend.

Why do teachers leave?

Higher pay in the private tuition sector, more flexible hours, less admin, and yes, better working environments, including air conditioning.

If we want to keep our best educators in the classroom instead of losing them to the nearest tuition centre with split-unit air con, maybe we should make their working conditions a little less like a sauna. (Pro tip: “passion for teaching” doesn’t mean “passion for sweating.”)

Kids Today: The Real Underprivileged Generation

Of course, there are valid concerns about sustainability.

Air conditioning is a notorious energy guzzler.

But if we’re serious about reducing our carbon footprint, let’s not pick on the kids.

Today’s students already have the short end of the stick compared to their parents’ generation.

Their parents didn’t have to contend with sky-high COE prices or million-dollar HDB flats.

Some of those parents even had the chance to “flip” property at a time when the market was friendlier.

Meanwhile, today’s students are growing up in a world where every advantage seems to come with a hefty price tag.

And now we’re asking them to sweat it out in the classroom, too?

It’s like telling Gen Z to “just buy a house”

Easier said in 1995.

Tuition Savings: The Air Con Fund We Never Knew We Needed

Then there’s the question of equity.

Some students have air conditioning at home, others don’t.

Some schools have the resources to retrofit their classrooms, others don’t.

If we’re not careful, this could become yet another way to widen the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

Surely, that’s not the kind of resilience we want to build.

But here’s a thought: if air-conditioned classrooms help students do better, maybe parents won’t need to spend as much on tuition.

And if parents spend less on tuition, could some of those savings be channelled back to schools to help pay for better facilities?

Imagine a world where every dollar saved on extra classes is a dollar invested in making classrooms more comfortable and conducive for learning.

It’s a bit like using your kopi money to buy a better cup of kopi.

Only this time, the whole class gets to enjoy it. (Who knew the secret to closing the education gap was hiding in a Daikin catalogue?)

The Politics of Perspiration

And let’s not underestimate the political consequences of ignoring parents’ frustrations.

The hotter the classrooms, the hotter the tempers at home.

Today’s parent, after all, is just one overheated child away from rage-writing on Facebook.

Or (gasp) becoming the next opposition politician that the incumbent has to figure out how to “fix.”

As Lee Hsien Loong once remarked, the government must “fix” opposition candidates who gain traction because they represent real frustrations among the people.

Ignore the heat, and you might just get burned at the next election.

If You Can’t Change Everything, At Least Change the Temperature

If MOE can’t change the curriculum fast enough to keep up with the world, can’t eliminate the PSLE, can’t reduce kids’ stress, can’t touch any of the sacred cows, then surely, at the very least, they can install air cons?

Or are they so principled about taking huge pay to do absolutely nothing? (At this point, even ChatGPT is sweating.)

The Coolest Solution

In the end, the debate over air conditioning in schools is a microcosm of a larger question: how do we balance comfort, productivity, and sustainability in a world that’s getting hotter by the day?

If we’re going to have this conversation, let’s have it honestly.

Let’s not pretend that resilience is something we only expect from children.

And let’s not forget that sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best ones.

So, to the experts in their air-conditioned offices: before you tell our students to toughen up, maybe try teaching a class in a non-air-conditioned room.

I’ll bring the sunblock—and a thermometer, just in case.

And if you survive, MOE might have a job for you.

🎧 Podcast

Michael Chua is a Singaporean actor, director, and casting director who made a remarkable career transition from technology consulting to the performing arts at age 50. He has appeared in over 400 productions, including the viral short film "Gift" and award-winning features like "Ilo Ilo," which won the Camera d'Or at Cannes and a Golden Horse Award. Chua has earned multiple accolades, such as Best Actor and Best Film at the Singapore International Film Festival, and is recognised by younger audiences for his roles in popular YouTube series like Titan Academy. His acting is noted for its depth and authenticity, drawing on his rich life experience and global perspective.

Before his acting career, Chua spent decades as a technology consultant, working across Europe, Asia, and Australia, and managing high-profile cybersecurity incidents. He has founded successful tech businesses in the Asia-Pacific region and continues to advise startups and companies on digital security and cloud management. Currently, he is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Newcastle’s Singapore campus, teaching acting and media while also serving as a trainer and coach in both educational and corporate settings.

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