Schools and daycare centers

Children, teenagers and young adults spend most of the day in kindergartens, schools, daycare centers or other educational institutions such as universities. In order not to negatively influence learning, it is particularly important to create or provide optimal environmental conditions. Environmental factors that can influence the receptiveness and concentration of learners include the orientation of the rooms in relation to the outdoor environment (located in a green area or on a street), the source and intensity of lighting (natural and artificial lighting), and the air quality. 

Classrooms, as well as rooms in other childcare and educational facilities, are generally highly occupied and used for long periods of time. Refreshing the indoor air through ventilation is often neglected, especially in the cold season or during bad outdoor weather (storms, rain, hail, thunderstorms, etc.). The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a crucial factor that affects human receptiveness.

In order to ensure regular air exchange (air exchange rate) and thus hygienically safe air quality, the development of a ventilation concept for classrooms with clearly defined ventilation instructions is an important foundation. You can find more information on this on our topic page Ventilation concepts in classrooms.

The type and frequency of ventilation and the quality of the outdoor air are therefore important boundary conditions for indoor air quality. Another important factor is air pollutants that are introduced through sources located within the indoor environment. In schools and daycare centers, these are primarily the furniture and other wall-mounted or mobile furnishings and appliances, which, however, cannot always be freely selected. Cleaning agents used indoors are also a significant source of air pollutants and should therefore be chosen carefully.

In view of the increasing use of electronic and technical devices as teaching aids, these sources should also be taken into account.