Greener Schools = Smarter Students

Posted by: YijunW

Environmental friendly schools are beneficial to learning, according to the World Green Building Council (WGBC).

WGBC studied 100 schools to learn how environmental conditions affect learning results. The research found four important factors affect students’ learning: lighting, indoor air quality, thermal air quality, and acoustics. Improving these features translates to better learning performance. However, according to WGBC CEO Terri Wills, some causes and effects are more obvious. For example, while it may be obvious that if students cannot hear their teachers or it is too hot to sit still, learning results will be unsatisfactory, people do not recognize that carbon dioxide or lighting can impact significantly on students academic performance.

According to WGBC, a green school should have plenty of windows that allow natural light and ventilation, should be supplied by sustainable energy and should contain zero or low-VOC furniture. Green conditions construct a brighter and cleaner - and healthier- classroom that promotes learning and contributes to a sustainable living.

U.S. studies found that students who are under high-intensity light have higher oral reading fluency by 36 percent while students under standard lighting conditions increased by 16 percent only. A UK study found that every 100 parts per million increase in CO2 were associated with an approximately half-day reduction in class attendance per year. A Washington State University study found that every 1000 parts per million (ppm) increase in CO2 was associated 0.5 percent to 0.9 percent reduction in annual average daily attendance, which means to a relative 10 percent to 20 percent increase in absence.

For more information, please visit:
https://bit.ly/2ze7B6Y
https://bit.ly/2AVyVcf
https://bit.ly/2k4qiBy

Photo: Erin Drago