Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S.

Arockiasamy, SXCE

UNIT - III

SCHOOL BUILDINGS

ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A SCHOOL BUILDINGS

The American Association of School Administration has suggested seven characteristics of a

school campus:

1. Adequacy: The school campus should fulfill the principle of adequacy. It should have
adequacy in respect of everything i.e. i. Site and Surroundings ii. Area iii. Plan iv. Design of
construction.

2. Safety: Safety of the staff and students in the school campus is very important. Safety from
general point of view and also from health and hygienic point of view is very important. The
campus, therefore, should be away from any big drain or canal or some main road.

3. Co-ordination: Co-ordination among the different units that function in the institution is very
important. Proper co-ordination of all the activities that go on in the institution is very important.
The different parts of the school campus such as office of the Head of the institution, staff room,
office, class-rooms, laboratories, workshops should stand well inter-linked and co-ordinated. The
workshop, the chemistry laboratory etc. should not disturb other departments. These should be
situated away from the different class-rooms. But there must be proper co-ordination.

4. Efficiency: Efficiency in work is the most important thing in the school campus. A good school
makes the learners have maximum of efficiency and more of output by putting in less input. It
does not in any way result into wastage of time and energy on the part of the staff and the
students. The whole school campus should be planned in such a way that there is efficiency and
unity of work.

5. Beauty: The school campus should have its own beauty. Neat and clean environment of the school
has its own charm. A beautiful campus attracts the learners and it does not make them feel bored,.
Artistic beauty of school campus is everlasting.

6. Flexibility: Nothing in the institution should be based on the principle of rigidity. There should be
scope for modifications as per needs mid requirements of the staff and the students. Suppose a

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

building for the library has been constructed.. With the passage of time, there should be snipe for
us expansion, for its modification, for some alternations so as have more benefits out of it.

7. Economy: The principle of economy is of great importance in the school campus. Every school
campus is always in the process of making. It is growing and developing at even stage and at even'
time. It always needs more and more of funds for its enrichment.

IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS

School plant is the school campus which includes everything present there which is
immovable. School plant gives the first impression to all those persons who come to the
school. Gone are the days when simple type of school plants catered to the needs of the
people. Now one and all give special importance to the school plant. A good school plant
attracts a large number of people.

The following points highlight the importance of school plant:

1. The school plant has a direct influence on the growth and development of the
children. A good school plant guarantees good environment which is conductive for
good health of the children.
2. Good school plant sets the tone of the school. The tone of the school matters much in the
study environment of the children.
3. Good school plant shapes the personality of the students. Character manners, etiquettes,
behaviour etc. are formed in the school campus.
4. A good school plant helps in the all round development of the personality of the children.
Only a good school campus has provision of all types of activities for the children. Natural
then only with all facilities, the learners make all round progress.
5. Only a good school plant can attract the attention of fresher’s / beginners. At the early
stages, every one compares the school with his, home. A place better than home or as
good as home can captivate their attention to have better results,
6. Healthy environment, attractive building, provision of more facilities have everlasting
impact on the learners and their parents. When they like the school campus from the core of
their hearts, naturally then it is bound to yield far better results.

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

SELECTION OF A SITE FOR THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS

The site of the school cannot be anywhere and everywhere. It has its concern not only
with the minds of the pupils but also with their bodies. Efficient schooling depends
considerably upon the site and situation of the school. Selection of a site is. Therefore, a very
important issue. The following points should be kept in mind while selecting a site for the
school.

W.M. Ryburn says, '"The site should be near a road, yet back from the road as can be
arranged to escape as much dust as possible"
1. The school should be located in a congenial and pleasant environment. In the case
of a village, it should not be far away where the children may find it hard to reach.
2. It should not be near a factory, a market, a bus stand, a railway station, a railway track
or any such crowded place.
3 It should not be at some low lying area which may be filled up during the rainy season.
4. There should be scope for future expansion as the need arises in due course of time.
5. It should not be situated on the main road. In case it is so, there should be provision of
separate approach road from the city which can be used by the child.
6. The area should be well developed from different viewpoints. There should be
provision of electricity, water arrangements, facilities of post office, bank, hospital
etc.

7. There should be no tank or canal nearby.

8. There should be no stagnant heaps of filth nearby.
9. And above all, the surrounding area of the school campus should be neat and clean.
10. The area for die school campus should be sufficient so as to have play grounds, the hostel
etc. as near to the school as possible.
11. The school site should be free from any type of soil dampness. The soil should be quick-
drying.
12. There should be possibility of easy water supply.

13. There should be adequate sunlight during the entire school day.

14. Other things being equal, it is advisable to purchase die cheapest land for the school.

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 Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

15. It should not be far away. It should be within the walking or transportation distance
of the pupils.

CONSTRUCTION OF A SCHOOL BUILDING

 Construction of a school building involves heavy expenditure. It may not be possible to

construct the whole of the building at a time.
 The Headmaster should be an engineer apart from being an administrator.
 He should know something about the construction of building. No doubt, the whole work of
construction is to be got done from the persons meant for that purpose.
 But he will be able to have it done better when he has some idea about the building work.
 The complete design of the school building may be got prepared and kept in the record.
 The Head of the institution can then, continue with the project in phases as per the budget
provisions. No school building can come up in its final shape in one attempt.
 The school plant grows and develops with the passage of time. The Head of the school
having experience of building work can handle the situation rightly.

MAINTENANCE AND BEAUTIFICATION OF SCHOOL CAMPUS

The following things in the school campus need special care:

1. Lawns of the school: The grassy lawns of the school add to the beauty of the school. They
have to be kept neat and clean, regular grass cut, keeping the flower beds up to the mark etc.
2. Maintenance of the building: The building of the school needs all lime care. Its repairs and
white wash need to be done off and on.
3. Maintenance of the Furniture: The furniture of the school constant checkup and proper
care. Whenever there is some breakage, its immediate repair need be done.

4. Maintenance of Play Grounds: The better the play grounds of the school, the more the
students feel attracted towards games. They should therefore, be kept clean and tidy. They
should also be well leveled from time to time.
5. Bath-rooms and Latrines: The bath rooms and latrines should be cleaned very regularly.
Their proper arrangement keeps the environment healthy.
6. Drinking water facility and its surroundings: Generally the place for drinking water is not
up to the mark in the school. This need be kept neat and clean with extra care.

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

DESIGN OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING

There can be different designs of the school building. Design of the school depends upon the
space available, funds in hand, type of school whether primary or high etc. It also depends upon the
liking and choice of the Head of the School. It is better if its map is planned by keeping in view
all aspects of school life at present and also those which would be there in times to come.
Some of the common designs of school buildings are E. N, I. L. T. H, U. Out of these, ‘I’ type is
the best to start with. It can be converted to any other type later on, say E, N. L. T, U etc.
Generally 'U' type building is recommended for the elementary school. Out of these 'E' and 'N'
types are very common for high schools. In their case, cross ventilation is possible, light can enter
from north and moreover, verandah can be possible on both sides of the rooms.
Here below are illustrated a few types of school buildings:
1 14
2 13
3 12
4 Hall 11
5 10
6 9
7 8
H – Type

XII I
I
XII II
XI III
X IV
IX VIII VII VI V

U- Type

3 2 1
4
5
Hall
6
7
8 9 10
E- Type

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

SCHOOL COMPONENTS AND MAINTENANCE

A fine building makes a fine school and a poor building a poor one. The following are the
components of a school:

1. Headmaster's Office

 It should be at some prominent place where the Headmaster's presence may be felt
strongly.
 The visitors may not find any problem in meeting him.
 Generally it is near the entrance to the school or it is in the front which catches the
sight of every one coming to the school.
 By having his office at such a place, the Headmaster is able to maintain discipline of the
school.
 Any outside interference can be got rid of within no time. The Headmaster's office
should have attached bath room, retiring room etc.
 The Headmaster's office should be spacious one so that whenever need of calling a
meeting arises, the whole staff may be seated there.
 And above all, the Headmaster's office should be attractive to look at because the
outsiders, the parents of children are to visit mostly his office and this should impress
them.
 Of course, this does not mean that only the Headmaster's office should be impressive
and other aspects of school campus may be ignored.
 Everything is important in its own place and in its own way. Due attention should,
therefore, be paid to them also.

2. Visitor's Room

 Every institution should have a well furnished visitor's room.

 Anybody coming to the school who intends meeting the Headmaster can at once be
seated there comfortably.
 The Headmaster can ask the peon to look after every such person visiting the school.
 Nothing likes that if the school can afford the services of a receptionist who can be
seated at a place near the entrance of the school. The person can welcome every visitor.

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

3. The school Office

 The school office should be as near to Headmaster's office as possible. The office staff,
the clerk, the steno.
 The head clerks are the persons who are concerned with the Headmaster at every
moment. The whole clerical work is to be carried on there.
 In fact, the proper functioning of the school depends considerably upon the efficiency of
the clerical staff.
 No doubt, the teaching staff is mainly responsible for the efficiency of the school but the
work done by the clerical staff also determines it considerably.
 The room meant for the office should not be congested one.
 There should be enough space for different persons who have to sit and work in the
office.
 They should be able to sit in that room where they may find themselves as independent
units and if need arises they should be able to have quick and easy access to the
neighboring official. It should have an attached bath room.

4. Class-Rooms

 The class-rooms in the school can be of varied types. Mostly the rectangular types
suit well. Some of the schools do have class-rooms of semi circular shape. They are
also equally good.
 Dimensions of a class-room depend upon the number of students who are to be
seated. General norm of space of 10 square feet per student. Thus we need 400
square feet space for 40 students and 600 square feet space for 60 students.
 Coming now to the dimensions of a room we will say that it should be 30' X 25'. The
height of the room should be 20 feet.
 The class-rooms of standard size should be got constructed while constructing the school
building.
 The class-rooms should have doors, windows and ventilators, on both the sides so that
they are sufficiently airy.
 Besides, the rooms should be constructed in such a way that there is provision for
sufficient light entry from north side.

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

 The furniture in the class-rooms should be of the type which is comfortable for the
students. Dual desks may be got fixed in the room.
 The desk should have a surface slope say of 15 degrees to the horizontal. It should
have drawers where the children can keep their books.
 In the case of junior students, the desks and benches can be of smaller size where
they may sit comfortably. The desks should be attached to the seats.
 Desks with moveable tops can also be used. Ryburn gives a very good opinion
about the distance of seat from the desk for reading and writing purposes.
 The opinion of Ryburn is: Every room should have one or two cupboards in which
dusters, chalks, registers, books of reference, another things may be kept.
 The cheapest cupboards are those which built into the wall when the building is being
built. Care has to be taken to prevent white ants from demolishing the contents.
 If possible, there should also be open shelves in the room for dictionaries,
encyclopedias, picture books, atlases and so on. A science room will have a large number
of cupboards.
 The black-board is necessary equipment for every class-room.
 It should be fixed up at the place where there is no reflection of light, should be well
taken care of that the blackboard writing is clearly visible to all the students sitting in
the class. It should not be placed in windows.

5. Staff Room

 The staff room in the school building should be at such a place where there is least
disturbance of the classes.
 It should spacious enough to accommodate the whole teaching staff of the school. It
should have a bath room attached to it with modem amenities facilities as far as
possible.
 Staff room should be well furnished with chairs, tables and suitable type of almirahs
for the teachers. One or two almirahs with pigeon holes may be got fixed up in this
room.

6. Science Laboratories

 The school building should have a separate wing where science laboratory or

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

laboratories can be got constructed.

 Usually there is one science laboratory in a school.
 If possible there should be separate science laboratories namely Physics Laboratory,
Chemistry Laboratory, Botany Laboratory, Zoology Laboratory etc.
 The Chemistry Laboratory should be on one side so that filthy smell coming out as a
result of experiments being conducted in this laboratory does not spoil the air of the
whole campus.
 As far as possible, lecture room-cum-laboratory should be constructed. It can be
done in a big room where lecture work can be possible in one corner of it and science
practicals may be carried on in the second corner.
 The store room however should be attached to the above said big room.
7. Drawing Room
 Drawing is one of the most useful subjects that help in the development of children's
senses. It makes the students interested in doing work.
 The school building should have a separate room for this subject as it requires special
type of seating arrangements.
 It is also a sort of laboratory where the students do practical work.
 Here the experiments are done with the help of paper, pencil, brush, colors etc.
8. Subject Room
 Some of the schools do have subject rooms, for example, Mathematics room,
Geography room etc.
 In a subject room the different type of apparatus, models, and charts concerning that
subject can be placed in the almirah or displayed on the wall.
 The type of room gives a better look to the school campus.
 The teacher can also teach well when he and the students find themselves in proper type
of atmosphere.
 The subject room has no specialty over an ordinary class-room.
 We can convert any class-room into a subject room by putting some material, apparatus
etc. of that subject in the almirahs of the room.
 Once we have converted a room into a subject room, then it should continue to be used

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

as far as possible for the classes for that subject only.

9. The School Canteen
 The school building should have a canteen within the campus.
 It should have at least two service rooms apart from the preparation room and the
store.
 One of the service rooms should be for the students, the other for the staff.
 They should be well furnished with one wash-basin fixed in each of the rooms.
 Having a suitable type of building for the canteen is not sufficient.
 Its running to the entire satisfaction of' all concerned is more important.
 Let one or two teachers are the supervisors of the school canteen.
 Rates of different items should be fixed up by the school authorities.
 There should be proper supervision of everything, the articles, the service etc.
 Then and only then the real purpose of having a canteen can be fulfilled.
10. The Multipurpose Hall
 The school should have one big hall where assembly of the whole school may be
possible.
 The same hall can be used for conducting examinations.
 Functions of the school can be organized in this very hall.
 A big hall is a must for every school because it is the basic requirement of the
school.
 It also adds to the prestige of the school.
 Now the question is what should be the size of the hall.
 It will vary from school to school.
 A big school should have a big hall and a small one may have a small size hall.
 The idea is that at the time of school functions, all the students and the staff
members of the school may be seated in it. It should have at least that much space.
 We must say that it should be of rectangular type. Generally accepted size of the
hall is 60 feet in length, 40 feet in breadth and 30 feet in height.
 On one side of the rectangular shaped hall, there should be a dais.
 If possible curtains should hang on the dais. It adds to the beauty of the hall.

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

 It should be well decorated fans; mike etc. should be fitted in it.

 There should be arrangement of exhaust fans so that at the time of functions, the
foul air collected inside might get exhausted.
11. Drinking Water Room
 The school should have one room in which arrangement of drinking water can be
made.
 Water may be stored in some reservoir constructed in that room.
 If possible, water cooler may also be got fixed up. Good water arrangements
especially in summer season make the students and the teachers feel comfortable and
thus they tire able to work more.

12. Cycle Shed

 The school should have good arrangements for keeping the bi-cycles.
 Without a cycle shed, it will not be possible to put the bicycles in a systematic manner.
 So making provision of a cycle shed is essential for the school.
 It should be on one side of the building near the entrance gate of the school.
 Some person should be there to look after the bicycles. These days cycle is the
cheapest conveyance.
 That is why we find large number of school students coming on bicycles. Its non-
availability will keep the students dissatisfied.
 That dissatisfaction might result in some sort of indiscipline. So the school authorities
should provide cycle shed facility.
13. Lavatories
 One of the basic necessities of the school staff and the students is the provision of
neat and clean lavatories.
 The lavatories should be on one side of the building within the school campus.
 They should be flush type if possible. There should be separate lavatories for
the staff and the students.
 Their number should be adequate so that the students may not continue waiting for
their turn.

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

14. Lawns and Gardens

 Building with bricks is not the whole campus.

 Plantation of trees, developing grassy lawns, a small garden with variety of flowers
etc. is also essential.
 They give a better look to the school building.
 The small garden will make the school campus look doubly beautiful.
 Green grass, the lovely trees, the beautiful flower plots are essential in the school
campus.
 The school children feel pleasure to see them, they enjoy a lot to see the grassy plots
and lawns, they can also while away some of their free time by sitting in the lawns
under the shades of the trees.
15. The Play Grounds
 The school campus without play grounds does not seem to be complete. Play
grounds are needed for all types of physical exercises.
 Proper growth and development of the personality of the child is the chief aim of
every educational institution.
 That is possible if provision of play- grounds is made along with the establishment of
schools. As far as possible, maximum number of games should be provided by the
school.
 There is need of play grounds for games like football, volleyball, hockey, basketball,
cricket etc. Arrangements for all these should exist there.
 Sometimes we find that the school is situated in the city and playgrounds are
located far from the school.
 The result is that very few children can take part in games.
 The school can encourage the students for participation in games only if it has
adequate playgrounds.
 The participation in games should be made compulsory for the students.
16. Quarters for the School Staff

 As far as possible, the school campus should have quarters for the staff members
within the premises.

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

 It is very much required for the ladies staff appointed in the rural areas who have
also to reside there. Besides, the provision of staff quarters keeps every teacher well
satisfied.
 The students are also able to derive more benefit thereby. The staff can participate
and also look after well the participation of the students in different games.
 In this regard, Secondary Education Commission says. "In doing so, the state
should come to the aid of the schools by starting co-operative housing societies and by
giving loans to the management of the schools on easy terms."' .
 Regarding staff quarters, Late Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru said. "It
seems to be more important to have a proper house for the teacher than to put up a
building for the school. The teacher could keep the equipment and teach outside.
The school revolves round the teacher and not round the building."

17. The School Library

"A collection of books, even a collection of good books, does not constitute a library"
- Kothari Education Commission

 Library is the most important central place in the school which helps in creating proper
atmosphere for studies.
 It is the source of great inspiration for the learners as well as the teachers.
 Efforts should therefore, be to make it really a place worth the name so that any and
every reader is attached to it. Barbara Ruth Fuessli Kyle writes: "Libraries preserve
knowledge so that none is lost, organise knowledge so that none is wasted, and make
knowledge available so that no one need be deprived."
 An efficient library service is the heart and soul of a modern school. This is no longer a
subject of debate.
 In a sense, the nature of the school library service is an index to the character and quality
of instruction and curriculum development in the school.
 The provision of dynamic methods of teaching in modern school system demands that the
students should develop art of an effective self-study through effective self-effort or
activity.
 This involves training in the use of reference books and regular use of school library for

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

acquiring knowledge.
 This is what brings into play the concept of library which is an indispensable agency of
education today.
 Library is, today, no longer a luxury item in the school but an essential tool in the teaching
programme.
 An eminent educationist has beautifully visualized the concept in the following words :
 "For the child," a school library is a new world of spiritual and cultural
adventure.
 "For the teacher," a school library is an untold increase in resources and power.
 "For the school," a library means a new atmosphere of learning.
 "For the home," a library means the development of habit of reading.
Advantages of School Library

1. Supplement Class-Work: School Library is the store-house of knowledge and

information. It supplements work done by children in the classroom. In the words of
Secondary Education Commission, 1952-53: ''Individual work, the pursuit of group
projects, many academic hobbies and co-curricular activities postulate the existence of a
good, efficiently managed library. To broaden interest, to increase vocabulary of
students and to know more about the topic discussed in the class or text-book, students
depend upon the resources available in the library."
2. Stimulates and Guides Pupils: School library stimulates and guides pupils in all phases
of their reading. A continuous interaction with books develops critical judgment and
appreciation among readers.
3. Development of Interests and Attitudes: Library provides every possible opportunity
for pupils to develop useful interests. It also helps pupils to make satisfactory personal
adjustment and thereby acquire desirable social attitudes.
4. Developing Sense of Discrimination: Regular use of library is helpful in developing
among pupils keen sense of discrimination regarding printed material,
5. Promoting Habit of Self-Study: School library acts as an agency for promoting habit of
self-study and self education. By making unlimited books on variety of subjects, the library
becomes a source of rich content which, otherwise, cannot be had by one's private means.
6. Broadens Areas of Information: It enriches one's field of interest. It broadens outlook.

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Elective: School Management Notes Dr. S. Arockiasamy, SXCE

It does so by placing before the pupils are master-pieces of master minds.

7. Choice of Books: Library helps pupils in their choice books and other materials of learning
for personal as well curricular purpose.
8. Inculcates Problem-solving Attitude: L i b r a r y i s h e l p f u l in inculcating the
problem-solving attitude in the pupils. It does so by providing depth of knowledge
concerning different subjects.

Thus, library acts as a friend, a guide, a companion a philosopher for those who seek
knowledge and information.

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