A History of poor acoustics

Historically schools were built without regard for the need of good acoustics and listening conditions.

Below are some links showing the how poor the acoustics have been, and how governments have recognised the need to legislate and improve the listening environments in learning spaces.

• Earthman, G. (2004) Prioritization of 31 Criteria for School Building Adequacy American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Maryland Baltimore, MD 21211
• Baker, L. (2012) A History of School Design and its Indoor Environmental Standards, 1900 to Today. Washington: National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities
• ‘Building Schools for the Future’
• The Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) is addressing the needs of schools most in need of urgent repair. This link provides further links to relevant government documentation. Guidance on the Priority School Building Programme provides an overview of the programme and information about Private finance funding - PF2, the Aggregator model, Capital funding and Selected contractors - capital funded batches
• Essex Study