Real world Why every community needs schools
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) says every child has a right to education, and that primary education should be free. Schools teach knowledge and skills, but also help children learn to work together, and they often provide meals, health checks and a safe place during the day.
Real world How a school is designed
Good school buildings have plenty of daylight and fresh air, which research links to better concentration. Classrooms need good acoustics so that everyone can hear. Spaces for science, art, music and sport, a library and outdoor play areas all support learning.
Schools must be safe and accessible for every pupil, including children who use wheelchairs or have other needs. Many schools also open their halls and fields to the community in the evenings and at weekends.
Real world Getting to school
How children travel to school shapes their health and independence. Safe footpaths, crossings, cycle lanes and lower speed limits near schools let more children walk or cycle. Some towns run "school streets", closing roads outside the school gate to cars at the start and end of the day.
Art In this artwork
This illustration shows a two-story brick school with a clock above the entrance.
Look closer
- Find the clock above the door.
- What surrounds the school: roads, paths or green space?
Think about it
- What would make the trip to your school safer or more fun?
- If you could redesign one room in your school, which would it be?
- Why might a school be a good place for community events?
Key words
- Curriculum
- What a school teaches.
- Acoustics
- How sound behaves in a space.
- Accessible
- Easy for everyone to reach and use.
Sources
The facts on this page are based on these sources:
- United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), Articles 28, 29 and 31
- UNESCO, "The right to education"
- US Department of Justice, "2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design"
