A selection of recent press articles from Malaysia, Australia and Sri Lanka highlight the diversity of educational infrastructure provision between our near Northern neighbours in Asia and ourselves here in Australia.
In Malaysia, sixteen schools and colleges have shown ‘serious structural defects’ with one school being closed to students and staff indefinitely (New Straits Times, 3/2/2005). Apparently this has nothing to do with the recent Tsunami disaster but rather reflects issues to do with the original design and construction. Appropriate design guidelines and building regulations should prevent this happening. Regulations vary by location with some in high wind and earthquake zones being more stringent than regulations in other areas. Side-stepping these regulations can lead to potential long-term problems, as is evident in the case mentioned.
In Sri Lanka, on the other hand, the recent natural disaster caused by the Tsunami tidal wave indicates a different cause of building failure. One can only speculate on the structural strength of the school buildings which were affected by the Tsunami. Of Sri Lanka’s 176 schools subject to the forces of the Tsunami, 74 were completely destroyed (Khaleej Times, 21/1/05). Many of these were in the coastal zone and will not be rebuilt within 100 metres of the foreshore.
It is heartening to read that every school which was completely destroyed will be rebuilt thanks to sponsorship by UNICEF and other international donors. ‘Architects Without Frontiers’ is an Australian organisation which has been involved with re-construction of devastated regions in Asia.
By comparison, some issues and concerns of school provision in Australia are very different. In a recent article in the West Australian, it was reported that some boarding schools are upgrading their facilities to reflect higher expectations of the parents - the requirement for student ‘privacy, space and security’ (West Australian, 29/1/2005). Gone are the communal showers and Spartan conditions of yesteryear – the need to toughen up the rural class! Boarding, in its various forms, is now a serious alternative for rural and city students. Long, medium and short term stays can all be catered for, thus giving greater flexibility to families who may have, for example, last minute business trips or other pressing family commitments.
Student comfort has also been in the news recently with the subject of classroom air-conditioning being ‘aired’ in Queensland and New South Wales (Australian, 7/2/2005), (Sunday Telegraph, 6/2/2005). Of course, it is Summer and this is the time when air-conditioning considerations come to mind. It is self evident that students do not learn as well (if at all) in high temperatures. It is also evident that the States of Queensland and New South Wales cannot afford to air-condition all their schools – as Bob Carr commented, ‘we can’t do it, we simply haven’t got the money.’
Interestingly, there was not a comment in the above articles relating to appropriate building designs which would cut down on the need for air-conditioning. Education Departments have not embraced environmentally sustainable design until recent times. Too often it is remarked that these measures would increase capital costs of buildings beyond allocated budgets. There is a trade off. Again, more and more parents are using the presence or not of air-conditioning as a selection criteria when choosing a school. It is still depressing to visit schools where classrooms have all the windows shut with the air-conditioning on. In many cases, it doesn’t need to be this way, excluding, of course, very hot or humid places where air-conditioning is a necessary supplement to thoughtful design.
Andrew Bunting
Director
Architectus
