Reopening School Spaces Post-Pandemic | – Combat Challenges With Simple Solutions

Autumnwood retail fixture manufacturer

Reopening School Spaces Post-Pandemic | – Combat Challenges With Simple Solutions

It has been more than a year that working online from home has been the norm for adults and children. After remaining shut in the houses for more than a year, it’s time to return to the routine again and start living a normal life, but with precautions. School furniture manufacturer in India

Children have been the most affected due to the pandemic, as they were robbed of a year of their school life and fun with peers. With successful vaccination drives, several schools are reopening soon giving a ray of hope for the little ones. Having said that, the situation is still risky which makes it important for schools and educational institutions to take precautionary measures against the deadly coronavirus.

Let’s check out what are the main solutions schools must be prepared for to combat the challenges posed by the current pandemic.

Solutions schools must keep in mind while reopening Post-Pandemic

  • Regularly Sanitize the Campus: The first and the foremost step to keep in mind while reopening institutions is to thoroughly sanitize all the classrooms, staff rooms, playground, laboratory, and every other corner. The campus should be sanitized properly before children reach the school to keep the coronavirus at bay. This will ensure that the campus is ready for students and teachers to return without fear
  • Install Important Equipment: Though the school premises have been always providing a safe and sanitized environment to students, it is now imperative to ensure a virus free environment. Thus, it is of primary importance to install equipment for alcohol-based sanitisers at various stations in the campus for the safety of each and every person present in the school.
  • Thermal Scanning: It is the responsibility of the schools to keep the virus at an arm’s length for which they now have to install thermal scanning systems on the premises. All teachers, students, and workers will have to go through thermal scanning while entering the building to diagnose, if anyone may have feverish symptoms.
  • Social Distancing, Masks & Gloves: After keeping everything in check, school organizations will also have to enforce social distancing, wearing of masks and washing of hands periodically among other safety measures. This will stop the transfer of the disease from the infected person to another and curb it then and there.
  • Enough Ventilation: Ventilation plays a crucial role in protecting people from the virus as it increases outdoor airflow and reduces the potential concentration of virus particles in the air. School organizations have to make sure that the ventilation systems are timely serviced and working properly.
  • Placement of Furniture in class: Reorganising furniture to facilitate distancing is a priority in classrooms. This may involve changing two-seaters to single-seaters. Schools may also look at changing the seating formation in a room.

With schools and other education institutes reopening soon, it is essential to keep everything in check and maintain a healthy environment to offer a safe and sound place for children to learn and prosper. These organizations have to follow the mandatory regulations and stay updated with the new rules to keep everyone’s health on priority.

autumnwood classroom furniture

How Are Ergonomic Classrooms & Curriculum Evolving Schools?

For ages, classrooms have only focused on providing knowledge to students. Educational boards and institutions keep upgrading their pedagogy and curriculum to match the new standards of Education. In this process, the topic of the physical comfort of students often takes a backseat. Students spend about 9 hours in school out of which they usually sit for 7-8 hours at their desk, which may not be manufactured for their optimal comfort. Here comes the role of classroom furniture ergonomics.

Let us know what it is and how crucial it is for students.

What is Classroom Ergonomics?

A single type of classroom furniture is not suitable for every student due to their height and body variation. However, several classrooms include conventional wooden desks and chairs that are not appropriate for the student’s body structure. Despite belonging to the same age group, the physical growth of students varies from each other. Therefore, ergonomic furniture is a must to keep the physical health of students in consideration.

Ergonomic furniture in classrooms eliminates physical hindrances, improves body posture, and allows enough movement in order to offer a comfortable sitting environment. Factors like seating arrangement and design of desks and chairs form a crucial part, while discussing classroom ergonomics, as they directly contribute to the performance of the students. Still, schools have not been able to adopt it fully.

Why is it neglected?

The reason behind the neglect of ergonomic furniture can be its durability and price. Several schools opt for durable and less expensive furniture, as children are not always careful with them. Having said that, some schools have made grass root movements to reform the classroom setup.

Blending Curriculum and Ergonomics

Along with ergonomic furniture, it is extremely important to consider the curriculum as well. As the latest classrooms have active learning environments, it is vital to upgrade the furniture accordingly. Portable furniture, that can be moved, stacked, arranged, and stored easily, is highly useful in this scenario. Some of the benefits include:

  • Developing better oral communication, leadership skills, and higher-level thinking.
  • Gaining confidence in different areas by giving exposure.
  • Create new ideas and solutions to problems and increase individual as well as group achievement.

Classroom furniture plays a vital role in the performance of a student. This is why schools are constantly investing in the latest furniture for a brighter future for their children. It is extremely important to think beyond the conventional classroom design to create an ideal learning space for the future generation. As learning is evolving from the ‘sit still and listen’ teaching style, the adoption of ergonomic classroom furniture is also witnessing significant growth.