Under a pilot project, PM2.5 filters will be fitted in every classroom in 200 London schools later this year. If successful, the project could be expanded to cover every school in London.
The £2.7 million funding for the pilot forms part of the Mayor’s 2024/25 budget which will be voted on by the London Assembly later this week. In addition to the air filters themselves, the funding will pay for school engagement, educational materials, monitoring the impact of the programme and maintenance of the filters.
A City Hall research project is currently underway to ascertain the best type of air filter that will be used. This is due to be completed in May, with installation of filters in the first pilot schools to follow later in the year.
The schools chosen for the pilot project will be selected based on pollution levels, as well as those in more deprived areas; ensuring that the chosen schools are spread evenly across London.
Mayor Khan said: “Alongside parents and teachers, I want every single child to breathe clean air in and around their school. In those vital early years, the difference to young people’s health and wellbeing can be lifechanging.”
