Schools are that place where children should let their imagination fly. Where they should learn how to use it. To learn to see the forest, not the trees.
In order for this to happen, children need something that stimulates their imagination. Especially during recreation breaks. A place to socialize and play, to develop communication skills.
School Yards Re-Design and Regeneration Strategy
A place to socialize and play, to develop communication skills.
That place should be the schoolyard. Unfortunately, during our field research, we saw that schoolyards are not the ideal place for the activities mentioned above. Often the schoolyard is a surface made from concrete, the green space is (almost) non-existent, and the benches where children should sit (if there are any benches in the first place) are morally and physically worn out. And that's only in the urban areas. In the rural areas the situation is much grayer, because the schoolyard is often non-existent, the access gate does not exist or is old and rusted, the land is covered by weeds, and there are even situations where animals graze the grass in the schoolyard.
Specifically, after analyzing the current situation, we developed a proposal to develop and equip 16 schoolyard spaces (16 schools in Bucharest and Cluj). In that proposal we recommended expanding the green spaces, equipping schoolyards with multisport courts, indoor seating areas and lighting for all the outdoor spaces .
The differences between the rural and the urban areas are also addressed in this proposal, in a comprehensive way, reflecting the connection between these spaces and the phenomenon of global warming or climate change. Of course, the playground also has to do with the personal development of the child, and depending on the allocated budget, the proposal comes with different concrete types of possible improvements.
Thus, children will be able to enjoy what the schoolyard really means, and this will be reflected both academically and at a personal level too. The school will once again become a place that children will begin to love, develop friendships and will be much more relaxed before, during and after school.
This is part of a series of articles about our collaboration with The World Bank.
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