Walking into a freezing cold or blazing hot classroom in the morning is not enjoyable for anyone. Schools should be able to fund heating and air conditioning throughout classrooms.
It is important for students to be able to feel comfortable in their environment.
Not only do air conditioning and heating help control the temperature and comfort of a room, but they also have some health benefits.
Having a working air conditioning unit within classrooms helps to protect students and staff members from allergies and bacteria in the air. It also helps to improve the quality of the air while trapped indoors.
Air conditioners help filter the air and remove pollutants and mold from the air. This can be crucial for students or faculty who suffer from things such as asthma or severe allergies.
The air conditioning system helps to filter through the particles within the air, making it safer to inhale. The filters within the AC only remain beneficial if they are changed out and cleaned regularly. If these filters are left unchanged, the cold air builds up within the unit and causes the formation of ice within the coils of the AC.
It has been proven that the ideal temperature within a classroom is anywhere between 72 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit, according to “Air Conditioning In Schools: Is It Essential For Learning?” Students learn better in environments that are comfortable and suitable for learning. When a student walks into a freezing cold room, all they are able to focus on is the fact that they are cold, and the same goes for a hot room.
“If it is freezing cold, I focus on the fact that it is freezing instead of class,” Madison Addleman said.
The temperature of classrooms is something that a lot of people do not take into consideration when thinking about a student’s ability to learn and focus.
When a teenager is in a classroom, they focus on just about anything but the lesson, and when it is hot or cold, it gives them something to think about.
“I prefer a neutral classroom because when it is too hot or too cold, that is all you think about,” Addleman said.
It is understandable that it is hard to make classes the perfect temperature, so classes should be set to a slightly warmer temperature. When classes are too cold, kids are clearly unable to focus on the lesson. While a warmer classroom is a better alternative to a cold one, there are some downsides to that as well.
“If it is too hot, it makes you want to take a nap,” Annalyssa Holton said.
Warmer temperatures within classrooms get kids almost too comfortable. It is proven that higher-tempered rooms make humans feel tired and lethargic.
This feeling not only affects students but also a teacher’s ability to actively teach a class. The ability to focus when people are overly hot or cold affects everyone.
Air conditioning units cost roughly fifty cents to a dollar every minute they run, which makes it one of the most significant and expensive forms of power wastage in schools, according to an article on LinkedIn.
Yes, AC units are expensive, but they are a necessity. Schools need to put more money into the heating and cooling systems in order to receive full focus from students and staff.
