by Shane Henson — September 23, 2013—Sustainably designed schools are being found not to only benefit school districts’ bottom line and the health of both students and faculty, but the actual grades of the students learning within their eco-friendly classrooms, according to a new report released by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). Released in honor of World Green Building Week September 16-20, the report aims to spark a new conversation about how high-performance green schools can deliver high-performance students.
“Too many students in Australia learn in school buildings that are too cold in winter, too hot in summer, badly lit and poorly ventilated,” says Robin Mellon, the GBCA’s chief operating officer. “Companies around Australia are achieving increases in productivity of up to 15% when they move their employees into high-performance, Green Star-rated buildings. We must demand similar high-performance learning environments for our students.”
The report, The Future of Australian Education: Sustainable Places for Learning, brings together the current international research into green schools, which demonstrates that:
- Good lighting and ventilation can deliver a 41.5% improvement in the health of students and teachers and a 25% improvement on test scores.
- Students with access to good daylight in their classrooms progress 20% faster in math and 26% faster in reading.
- The classroom environment can affect a child’s academic progress by as much as 25%.
“We believe that, just as investment in quality teaching and quality resources is essential, so, too, is investment in quality learning environments,” Mellon added. “Our vision for the future of Australian education is one in which all students and teachers have access to sustainable places for learning, and all students and teachers can reap the benefits of happier and healthier education facilities.”
