How Does School Infrastructure Impact Children's Development?

Children up to 18 years old spend most of their time away from home, in their schools. Often called a second home for them, an educational institute serves a variety of purposes in the life of a child. From providing technical knowledge to socializing and working as a team, schools play a vital role in shaping the personality and perception of children. Together with experienced professionals who guide children academically, the infrastructure of a school plays a facilitating role in creating a favorable environment for them.

The architecture and physical design of a school must pay special attention to the mental and physical well-being of students. Buildings, classrooms, laboratories and equipment are essential components of the learning environment in schools and colleges. High quality infrastructure softens instruction, increases student performance and reduces dropout statistics, among other benefits.

A study of the U.K. explains that the elements of a school's infrastructure accounted for 16 percent of the variation in the academic progress of elementary students. This research shows that the architecture of an educational infrastructure affects learning through three interdependent factors:

Naturalness (for example, light, air quality)

Stimulation (for example, complexity, color)

Individualization (for example, singularity of the learning space)

Schools must be free from sources of different types of pollution, both sound and air. Noise pollution can distract students, while air pollution is detrimental to a child's health and well-being. These physical conditions can leave a negative impact on the integral development of the student.

Taking into account the previous points, the following elements should be monitored while designing the infrastructure of an institute to guarantee its positive role in the overall growth of a child:

Services for students and teachers: adequate temperature, ventilation, lighting, water, electricity, Internet services, health services and, finally, large common areas for students.

Laboratories and specialized learning centers: physics, chemistry, biology and computer laboratories are attractive platforms for students to learn and grow. These centers impart essential academic knowledge while proving to be a fun and attractive activity for children. Comfortable and comprehensive libraries promote the habit of reading, and with the rapidly evolving world of automation, children must have access to IT labs so they can take advantage of their technological capabilities.

Installations for the development of talent: the main disadvantage of some institutes is their tendency to focus most of their resources on the technical aspects of learning, while neglecting the need for talent development centers. A percentage of students will always be more inclined to creative abilities, emphasizing the need for cutting-edge facilities such as art and music halls. Athletes and athletes have identified their talent and have grown up at an early age in schools that recognized the need for sports grounds, since the physical growth and physical condition of students must also be taken care of. These co-curricular activities are perfect to stimulate team building activities and develop non-academic talents, which deserve the same attention.

By: Preeti Narula