The leader of the opposition Luke Foley said his part would claw back $300 million for the Coalition government’s spend on Sydney stadiums to begin the task.

Port Stephens MP and opposition spokeswoman for the Hunter Kate Washington echoed the leader’s observation that it “wasn’t fair” to ask school P&Cs to fund air conditioners.

While the coalition continues to build some schools without air conditioning Ms Washington said Labor would ensure that a new school at Medowie, for example, would be air conditioned on the day it opens.

“Parents across the Hunter, hear regularly from their children, how hard their school day was because of sweltering classrooms,” she said.

“With a spate of school days over 40 degrees in the Hunter, our kids should be able to focus on learning, not survival. It’s time that Gladys Berejiklian put Hunter students before Sydney stadiums.”

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Labor will immediately conduct an audit of all the state’s more than 2000 primary and secondary schools if elected to give priority to schools with the hottest temperatures first.

Mr Foley said Labor would initially invest $300 million to air condition thousands of classrooms. The party hasn’t however elaborated on how much it would cost in total or how it might fund the balance of the work.

It estimates that up to 600 schools would benefit from Labor’s Cool Schools package with schools in the Hunter, North Coast, Western and Southwestern Sydney, among the first to receive air conditioning.

“For the first time thousands of Hunter school children will get air conditioning,” Mr Foley said.

“Throughout the state local P&Cs are currently forced to fundraise to pay for air conditioning at their school.  Would you rather air condition private suites in Sydney stadiums or the classrooms where children to learn?”