The need for good acoustic design of schools

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of research into classroom acoustics, highlighting the importance of a good acoustic environment in schools to enhance teaching and learning. The paper is aimed at a general audience of people interested in education and school design. In the past 30 years there has been a great deal of research into the effects of noise and poor acoustics in schools on children and teachers. It has been shown in many studies that children have difficulty hearing and understanding their teachers in noise, and both external environmental noise and noise within a school affect children’s academic performance. Furthermore many teachers suffer from voice and throat problems which may be attributable to a poor acoustic environment in the classroom. The acoustic design of a classroom has a direct influence upon noise levels and the intelligibility of speech. Poor sound insulation and excessive reverberation have the potential to increase noise levels and reduce speech intelligibility. However, despite the introduction in many countries of legislation or guidelines for acoustic design of schools, in general acoustics still has a low priority in school design and many schools, old and new, fail to meet the current standards.