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While the newer buildings are excellent examples, of central
hall schools, 1 should like to see in Croydon an example of the
pavilion type of school that has been introduced with such apparent
success into Staffordshire at the suggestion of Dr. George Reid. In
this type the class-rooms are so arranged that ventilation takes
place by means of hoppers and sash windows, communicating with
the externa] air. This is undoubtedly a sound principle and seems
likely to effect as considerable an improvement in the natural
ventilation of schools as the application of similar principles has
brought about in hospital wards.
According to Dr. Reid's observations, the air in a school o
this design can be readily maintained at a higher standard of purity
than has been found possible in central hall schools. On theoretical
grounds it seems probable that this would be so. In the meantime
I arranged for a series of observations to be made during the present
winter on the heating and ventilation of one of our newest schools
For this purpose Winterbourne Road was selected, and I had the
good fortune to secure the co-operation of Dr. Gerrard, who has taken
dry and wet bulb thermometer readings, and estimated the carbonic
acid in the atmosphere in certain class rooms during the past three
months. Unfortunately the observations are not yet complete, as
the extraordinary mild season prevented our ascertaining what
exactly took place during the cold weather. Some of the results
already obtained are suggestive. Generally speaking the condition
of the air was fairly satisfactory in Winterbourne Road, but comparative
observations made at Oval Road Boys' School showed that
better results were obtained in the latter building. It is difficult to
say how far this superiority is due to the use made of the windows,
and how far to the fact that the arrangement of windows at Oval
Road allowed of through ventilation. Personally, I am of opinion
that both factors were responsible for the results observed.
EQUIPMENT. —The desking of the older schools is gradually
being improved, and I am awaiting with interest the trial of single
seats and continuous desks, which are to be introduced into some of
the class rooms. In the new schools it would be an advantage if
ten per cent. of the desks were single adjustable desks of approved
design, as these would then be available for those children who, for
one cause or another, required desks accurately adopted to their
individual peculiarities. For the bulk of children such accurate
adjustment of desk to child is not absolutely essential, especially
now that the necessity for recreative exercises and change of work is
not forgotten when framing school time tables.
SANITARY CONVENIENCES. — These have recently been inspected.
The thirty-two schools in the Borough are provided
with :—
x range of hand-flushed troughs.