2. Ensuring an Appropriate Environment for Learning

All students must look forward to coming to school every day. A safe and stimulating physical environment can help make school a positive experience for all. Studies have also shown that when physical spaces are carefully designed to address the needs of students, they can have a positive impact on their overall well-being and learning.

Since most students spend close to six hours (or more) a day in school where they are engaged in a variety of activities, it is important to design school infrastructure in a way that addresses learning requirements and allows for play, gatherings, and interaction with others and with nature. All these aspects contribute to learning and support the smooth functioning of school processes.

Quality, completeness, and maintenance of infrastructure are key differentiators between a good school and a not-so-good one, especially in the eyes of parents and the community. Safe, barrier-free, and adequate physical infrastructure must be available as per prescribed norms. Buildings and equipment must meet safety standards as per the law. Adequate budgets and utilisation for infrastructure development, infrastructure maintenance, and TLM must be available.

While the importance of safe and adequate infrastructure is well recognised, many schools across the country still struggle to meet the basic requirements for a conducive learning environment. However, many schools are taking several initiatives to improve their infrastructure and ensure a better learning environment for their students through strong School Management Committees (SMCs) and with the help of local communities. These schools have applied many creative ideas to overcome space and resource limitations to achieve learning goals. Collaboration among school administrations, local authorities, and the local community can play a critical role in finding solutions to the infrastructural challenges that many schools face. Some basic requirements that all schools should aim to address are detailed in the following sub sections.

Section 2.1 - Outdoor Infrastructure

Schools exist in varied environments across the country — from being on a busy main street with heavy traffic to being amidst an idyllic landscape bordering a forest. Setting up a school with the right infrastructure and safety measures can be a challenge in many locations across the country.

All schools must ensure that basic standards for infrastructure and safety are met to ensure learning for all students.

2.1.1 Basic Structure and Compound Wall

School buildings should be permanent structures constructed with appropriate materials that ensure structural stability and the long-term safety of all individuals who use the space. The school boundaries and grounds need to be protected from various external elements that could threaten the safe movement of students, so a compound wall and a secure gate can ensure that the entry and exit of visitors to the school are properly organised and monitored.

2.1.2 Open Space for Play and Safe Assembly

An outdoor open space in schools can be a space for students to play (outdoor games and sports) as well as a place for large gatherings, meditation, or a dedicated assembly point in the case of any emergency (e.g., fire, natural disaster). Schools could opt to install play equipment such as swings, climbing frames, slides, jungle gyms, and so on for young students.

2.1.3 Trees, Plants, and Nature

Nature is a great teacher. The presence of trees (including local fruit-bearing trees) and plants where students can find shade, explore, invent their own games, and observe birds, small animals, insects, and butterflies has a positive impact on learning. In addition to local flora and fauna, schools could have a dedicated kitchen garden where students participate in growing and nurturing plants, and a composting pit to process organic waste from the kitchen.

2.1.4 Accessibility and Inclusion

Schools must take measures to make the physical environment accessible for people and students with disabilities. At the least, ramps must be provided for wheelchair access, and lifts can be provided in schools that need them. Both ramps and stairs should have handrails. Tactile pavers to guide people and students with disabilities must be placed judiciously, particularly in toilets and in areas near drinking water units. Appropriate signage with text and pictograms, and in Braille if possible, can help people and students with disabilities move independently (e.g., directions to the ramp, accessible toilets if available).

While the entire school could have anti-skid flooring for ease of movement (including for wheelchairs), the toilet and area around drinking water units, where there is a danger of slipping, must have slip-resistant flooring.

Devices using assistive technology can be kept in the library for students with disabilities to use whenever required, e.g., magnifiers, text-to-speech software, books with large prints, Braille books and displays, personal amplification systems, speech output software, and specialised apps.

Simpler actions must also be taken after due care and thought are given to requirements, e.g., ensuring unobstructed corridors and classrooms, moving classrooms to the ground floor from upper floors to cater to specific students, and planning laboratories and libraries on the ground floor.

Section 2.2 - Indoor Infrastructure

2.2.1 Classrooms

Classrooms are where Teachers and students spend most of their time in schools. Schools must have sufficient classrooms to accommodate all students comfortably and ensure that the dignity of every student and the learning process is respected.

Classrooms must be well-ventilated and well-lit spaces. Depending on the climatic conditions and school requirements, basic lights, fans, and electric power outlets with safe electrification would also need to be provided in classrooms.

The design of classrooms must take into consideration accessibility for all students and people with disabilities, the nature of different subjects and the recommended pedagogy, movement for a variety of learning activities, furniture for flexible seating arrangements, blackboards for Teachers and students, and facilities for storage and display.

Classroom organisation could be flexible, giving students the opportunity to move to other rooms. For example, a room dedicated for language learning could be designed to offer an immersive, print-rich environment with easily accessible resources for different learning levels across Grades. Similarly, dedicated rooms for the Art could be planned for conducting Art activities, with the provision of sufficient space for movement and storage of materials, props, stationery, and instruments. Wherever possible, schools could consider making provisions for using digital technologies and equipment to support learning practices (TV/projector/ interactive board, either in the classrooms or as a commonly shared multipurpose media room).

2.2.2 Libraries

Depending on the space available in the school, three types of libraries can be set up.

a. School Library

This is a separate room dedicated for use as a library with adequate furniture to store a wide range of books arranged and catalogued systematically, for students and Teachers. Books could be categorised according to reading level, language, subject, and so on. Systematic labelling could help students navigate through the collection, and maintain entries in a library record book.

Storybooks for early readers are usually light and full of colourful pictures. These can be hung on the wall at a lower level using a string to draw the attention of younger readers, provide easy access for them to choose different books to browse through or spend time reading, or help them decide which books they want to read.

Such a library could also include multimedia and audio-visual learning resources with computers, projectors, and other relevant devices.

There should be sufficient space and appropriate furniture for students to sit comfortably and spend time reading, researching, and accessing resources in the library.

b. Classroom Library Corner

If a school has limited space, libraries can be set up in classrooms with appropriate material available for that particular Grade.

A corner library could also be set up in one part of a particular classroom. Here too, bookshelves, tables, or cupboards can be used to place the books.

c. Community Library

A school could also choose to make its library more open by extending it for the use of the local community after school hours. It could set up a part of the library outside the school premises, in a place that gives access not only to its students but also to students of other schools or other children and adults in the community. Such initiatives can become lively and enriching centres, especially when different people contribute books, periodicals, and magazines towards the library collection.

School alumni, youth, and adults could volunteer to help early readers by reading to them, organising storytelling activities, or managing the library’s resources. A community library could also serve as a space for students to study after school hours, get together, and help one another with their homework.

2.2.3 Laboratories

Although laboratories are commonly associated only with science, schools must aim to expand the idea of a laboratory to other subjects as well. Laboratories must be kept open and accessible to students during their learning hours. They must be perceived as spaces for ‘doing’ — extending to a variety of learning experiments across disciplines where students explore, discover, and verify knowledge.

For example, students can access instruments required for measurement and geometry alongside raw materials such as wood to create their own measuring instruments. A laboratory can also have a stock of natural clay that can be used for visualising and creating 3D models, seals, toys, and other resources that can aid learning. The concept of a laboratory could be extended to workshops for woodwork/carpentry, electronics, mechanics, pottery, textiles, and sewing in schools for Middle and Secondary Stages.

2.2.4 Dining Area and Drinking Water

The area for eating meals must be shaded, clean, spacious, and hygienic. It should be welcoming to all people to sit comfortably and eat together. The dining area must also have sufficient space and an adequate number of taps for washing dishes and utensils after meals. Easily accessible and hygienic drinking water facilities should be provided in all schools. Timely maintenance of these facilities must be followed.

2.2.5 Toilets

Well-lit, clean toilets with safe and well-maintained plumbing and an uninterrupted supply of water are a basic requirement. Separate toilets for different genders and people with disabilities must be provided. Girls’ toilets should stock sanitary pads and provide covered dustbins for the safe disposal of used sanitary pads.

2.2.6 Semi-open/ Partially Shaded Areas

Schools could also have semi-open areas, such as partially shaded corridors or verandas, where students can move safely, sit, play indoor games, or seek shelter from the rain. These areas could also accommodate display facilities where charts, poem cards, story cards, students’ art works, and writings are presented and changed periodically. Schools could also think of creating interactive spaces in these areas where students find opportunities for sensorial exploration, e.g., interactive materials such as walls/surfaces with a variety of textures and objects that produce different sounds that students can play, such as musical instruments or wind chimes.

2.2.7 Uninterrupted Supply of Water and Electricity

Regular and uninterrupted supplies of water and electricity are essential for the smooth functioning of any school. Disruption in the water supply can impact the hygiene and cleanliness of toilets and the kitchen. Electricity is essential to power many devices that are used not only for learning, but also to operate computers and other electric and electronic devices that are integrated into school routines.

Schools could work closely with the local administrative authorities to ensure that the supply of water and electricity is prioritised for the school. At the same time, steps can be taken to educate all members of the school staff and students to use water and electricity judiciously and report any misuse.

Section 2.3 - Infrastructure that Ensures Safety

a. Choice of building material: Physical safety in a school begins with the choice of materials used in the construction of the school building. Schools must avoid using easily flammable materials such as straw and ensure that the construction quality meets all school safety regulation standards. School buildings need to be secure, permanent structures with long-term stability.

b. Electrification and plumbing in the building must be standardised and concealed.

c. Doors, windows, and gates: Toilets for all genders must ensure safety and privacy by installing proper doors with latches that can be used by students of all age groups comfortably. Windows must be installed in all classrooms to ensure proper ventilation and light. The main entry and exit points of the school premises should have gates that can be closed and opened smoothly and locked after school hours.

d. Safety during emergencies: Multiple entry and exit points could be provided to avoid stampedes during emergency evacuations. Schools must have fire safety mechanisms and fire extinguishers in proper working condition. They could conduct regular fire drills involving all members of the school to orient students, Teachers, and other staff on how to evacuate the building safely and help those in need. Open spaces that could serve as safe assembly areas during natural disasters also need to be demarcated and clearly communicated to all members of the school. Helpline and Emergency numbers should be displayed in multiple locations on the school premises. Safety and first-aid kits must be easily accessible and available for use.

Other aspects of safety and its operationalisation are provided in the chapter on School Processes. The Ministry of Education’s Guidelines on School Safety and Security clearly define the measures that schools and other relevant stakeholders must take to create a safe and secure environment for all students. They are an excellent resource for all educational institutions and settings.

Section 2.4 - Infrastructure that Ensures Inclusion

All common spaces and property on the school campus meant for students and Teachers should be made accessible to all students and Teachers.

This includes barrier-free access to all parts of the school for people and students with disabilities, e.g., entry, exit, corridors, classrooms, library, laboratories, dining areas, play areas, toilets, use of furniture, and use of learning material.

Particular issues related to inadequate infrastructure or inadequately maintained infrastructure can create barriers for particular groups of students. For example, one important reason why many adolescent girls have poor school attendance is the lack of proper toilet and sanitation facilities in schools suitable for all students, including those with disabilities.