Mustasaari families demand action over school air problems
Tuesday 6th October 2026 on 14:15 in
Finland
Families in Mustasaari are urging the municipality to resolve long-running indoor-air problems at the Finnish-language lower secondary school’s Pilotti building, where students have reported serious health symptoms. Yle reports that two initiatives have been submitted to the municipal executive board.
More than 200 students were moved from Pilotti to temporary buildings this spring. The building, originally intended for temporary use, has been used for teaching since 1998 and has undergone several renovations.
In one initiative, municipal councillor Sanna Rahko says at least two children developed symptoms so severe over the past year that they could no longer spend time in the building. She also says staff have experienced serious symptoms and that the problems have made it harder for the municipality to recruit teachers.
Rahko’s 16-year-old son, who has since left the school, says he struggled with asthma throughout his school years and developed severe skin problems in lower secondary school. He was diagnosed with acute eczema, and his mother says he had sores on his scalp and ears. He accumulated as many as 150 hours of absence during one autumn term while receiving remote teaching.
Mervi Hangasmäki’s daughter also says she became ill after returning to Pilotti in seventh grade. She reported migraines and asthma, and said she missed 480 hours in ninth grade. Hangasmäki says her daughter’s symptoms eased when students were moved to temporary premises after an earlier building closure, but returned when they went back to Pilotti.
Yle says it has reviewed health documents concerning the interviewed students, which describe a connection between their symptoms and the school’s indoor-air problems. The broadcaster has not published the young people’s names because they are minors and the information concerns their health.
Some parents have also questioned why Finnish-speaking students have had to use Pilotti while Swedish-speaking students have not. The municipality says earlier repairs have not solved the problems. It is awaiting results from new samples and looking for temporary premises for next autumn. The head of education does not consider another temporary repair of Pilotti the best solution.