How do schools ensure environmentally-friendly facilities
While some schools focus mainly on implementing eco-friendly initiatives for the students, others ensure a ‘green’ facility for their students.
The Jumeira Baccalaureate School (JBS), for instance, is trying to ensure they have a ‘green facility. “Research continues to show how ‘green facilities’ have a positive impact both on students’ abilities to learn, as well as teachers’ ability to teach. In addition, it is a key part of our curriculum that young people come to understand the importance of sustainability. After all, we are creating the leaders of the future,” said Richard Drew, the school principal.
“We have changed all our lights to LEDs, all taps have been fitted with devices to reduce water usage, and we recycle all non-food waste. We reuse paper and monitor our photocopying output closely. All students from Grade 3 onwards are encouraged to ‘bring their own water. Our water and electricity consumption invoices are also monitored closely. Sustainability is a key part of the IB curriculum – it is taught from Grade 1.”
The Swiss International Scientific School Dubai (SISSD) also focuses on ensuring its facilities are green. Jackie Schemenauer, the sustainability coordinator at SISSD, said that poor air quality could harm a student’s concentration levels, which is why it is “essential” to ensure a school is green.
Green environment
“Our school has been purpose-built with natural lighting. Our lights are rarely on, and the lights turn off automatically when someone leaves the room. Our building has been built on a vacuum seal, so our windows don’t open. We have a filtration system for indoor air quality, which is monitored, and there is a system in place. We also have lots of plants inside to improve air quality,” she had previously told Khaleej Times.