One of the most neglected topics in primary and secondary education is the physical comfort of students, and the role classroom furniture plays in it. As one of the leading school furniture manufacturers in India, we are intimately aware of its importance.
With ergonomic classroom furniture, you can create a positive learning environment and encourage personal development in students. With this idea in our minds, let’s discover why classroom ergonomics matter.
Also Read: Classroom Furniture: A Subtle Teaching Tool
Children spend the majority of their time sitting. A study by the University of Manitoba says a kid in elementary sits for as much as 9 hours a day. Another study estimates that students spend 80% of their time sitting. So, it stands to reason that the right type of chairs and tables are crucial in schools.
Yet, the furniture most schools use is out of date and doesn’t meet the standard orthopaedic-physiological requirements. Did you know that 83% of students use a chair and desk that is not suitable for their body and height? Why does that happen? Because conventional furniture comes in the same size, while children have a wide range of size and growth. The idea that the same type of desk and chair combination will fit all the children in a class is ludicrous.
Moreover, traditional furniture comes with rigid seats, which can result in:
- spinal cord pressure
- Rounding of the back
- Lack of blood circulation
- Constricted digestive organs
- Tense shoulder, neck and back muscles
It means not having ergonomic furniture in a classroom can have very real and very physical consequences. Take into account the cognitive effects, and it becomes even more critical to have the right kinds of desk and chairs.
What Can A Good Classroom Environment Do?
40% of students accept that they don’t have comfortable chairs to sit on. 50% of them feel that the physical environment is a decisive factor in how they feel about school. Even teachers feel the same. Two out of every three teachers say that the physical environment can impact the performance of pupils.
A right classroom environment can encourage active learning because it keeps physical comfort as a priority. When schools use outdated furniture, this is what happens:
- Students half sit and half lie on the chair.
- They continuously fidget and change positions to get more comfortable.
- They stop paying attention to the teacher and the subject being taught.
All in all, not a physically comforting environment.
Now, when schools use ergonomic classroom furniture, this is what happens:
- Students maintain a good, healthy posture.
- This reduces fidgeting because their backs are supported, and feet are placed firmly on the ground.
- They feel comfortable, which increases concentration levels and improves overall learning.
In short, the right chair and tables help pupils maintain an ergonomic posture. It encourages natural movements of the body, which makes the student more comfortable. As a result, a good classroom environment is achieved.
But a better posture, right learning environment and high-performing scholars are not the only benefits you get. Modern educators know the value of active learning. The age of sitting and listening to the teacher has long gone by. Today’s children require engagement and involvement. The best way to achieve it is to change the seating layout of the classroom, and ergonomic furniture allows you to do that easily!
What Is The Right Desk And Chair For A Student?
The chair any school chooses should have the following:
- It suits the student’s age.
- It is height adjustable, allowing a pupil to alter the height of the chair with respect to the table to match his or her needs.
- The chair should have a tilt that follows the line of the body.
- The depth of the chair should be tailored to the height.
It means the front edge of the seat should not be in front of the knee fold. That makes the seat too deep and forces a student to either slide forward, which rounds the spine or sit with straight legs, which is uncomfortable. In the reverse case, where the seat is not deep enough, the legs don’t have enough support.
Another feature that is important is a tilting chair. It allows pupils to alter between rest and activity. More than that, tilting chairs keeps students comfortable for longer and provides excellent muscle training.
