598 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION I. 



The following suggestions may be of use for the guidance of those 

 who design and build our schools. Experience teaches us what 

 we require in Australia, without constantly imitating Northern 

 Hemisphere methods. 



Every school child requires 15 square feet. The average for 

 New South Wales is 10 square feet. Considering the warm climate 

 and the greater activity of the skin, I do not consider 10 square 

 feet sufficient. 



The area of the room will depend on the numbers occupying it. 

 An average class numbers about 48 children, and the superficial 

 area required would be 48 x 15 = 720 square feet. This is not 

 excessive, as it makes no allowance for the teacher and furniture. 



In most books on School Hygiene it is mentioned that the child 

 vitiates 2,000 cubic feet of air per hour, that is, raises the percent- 

 age of carbon dioxide from .04 to .06; the latter percentage, we 

 are told, is unhealthy, and unfit for breathing purposes. This 

 vitiated air must be replaced by an equal amount of fresh air 

 every hour. 



It would be impossible to j^rovide such a cubic space for every 

 child; we are, however, able to bring about a similar result by 

 utilizing a smaller space and replenishing the air more often. Every 

 child should be allowed 200 cubic feet of air space, and this would 

 necessitate the renewal of all the air every six minutes to prevent 

 the percentage of carbon dioxides totalling more than .06 per cent. 



The cubic space divided by the superficial area will give us the 

 elevation of the room : 200 -^ 15 ^ 13^ feet. 



A class-room for 48 children should have an area of 720 square 

 feet and an elevation of 13| feet. 



The shape of the room is either oblong or square. It should 

 be oblong, and the teacher and children so placed that they face 

 the short sides. In many cases an oblong room is used where 

 the occupants face the long sides; this is absolutely wrong. 



In the Oblong Room. 

 There will be more room for the teacher and his appliances. 



The teacher will face a smaller frontage, and will be able to 

 supervise without moving his head or position. 



Standing with the arms outstretched sideways, it is impossible 

 to see the hands whilst facing straight to the front. As the arms 

 approach a right angle, both hands become visible. 



