Recommendation 5 Design templates for school buildings

'''Recommendation 5. We recommend that the Government create best-practice design templates for school buildings so that newly-built schools and upgrades are more open, flexible, and networked.'''

Comment: Strongly supported. There is now considerable evidence that some student activities suit large groups; that idea generation suits smaller groups; collaborative writing works for groups of 2 or 3; and some activities should be personal.

Need to consider other needs such as sports fields – obesity is a problem – and need to recognise that sitting still all day is not appropriate for children (or adults). Physical education and activity are essential repeated every day – stand-up and do your exercises (qigong) every hour. Also need to include operational activities such a wood, metal and materials, also food and sewing, technology – many children are operational rather than “intellectual”. The loss of sports fields in urban schools – and the loss of sports coaching – is a loss to our communities. Poor eyesight in countries such as Singapore is associated with lack of sports activities requiring peripheral eye movement – and too much small screen viewing.

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