Students' results lowered by poor school ventilation and temperature control

A wide-ranging and authoritative study has found that the performance of school children in the classroom is negatively effected by poor ventilation and temperature control.

Field studies were carried out by two professors in identical classrooms at a school in Denmark to find out whether different room temperatures and quality of air hit the performance of children carrying out everyday academic tasks.

The results found that increasing the outdoor air supply rate and reducing artificially elevated classroom temperatures improved the performance of many tasks, both in terms of speed and in how many errors were made.   

According to leading UK ventilation services company Cosaf.co.uk, the study show the need for a similar approach in British classrooms.

"Ventilation and temperature control are often overlooked when designing both office spaces and schools," said Mike Sullivan Managing Director of cosaf.co.uk. "With tighter budgets in the present financial climate, the temptation is to cut corners on anything that isn't directly related to improving exam results."

"However, this report shows that fresh air and cutting artificially increased temperatures improve school work."

The results, published in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) journal, showed:

• Doubling the air flow increased pupil speed by between 8% and 14%
• Reducing classroom temperature by 1ºC increased speed by between 2% and 4%
• Doubling the fresh air flow reduced errors by about 5%
• Reducing temperature did not have a significant effect on errors, but marginally fewer were made in a cooler environment.

Cosaf.co.uk said the study showed the need for better working conditions for both pupils and teachers, a move that would help improve academic standards.

"We've no doubt that a pleasant classroom environment leads to better results and less disruptive pupils," said Mike.

"Some of our more experienced staff are old enough to remember being taught in temporary classrooms, heated by huge oil-fired heaters with windows sealed shut against the winter," said cosaf.co.uk 's Mike. "If this study is anything to go by, it's a wonder they learned anything at all."