A school is an educational institution designed to provide structured learning to students. Education is a fundamental element of modern society, enabling us to identify, understand, and derive outcomes from various concepts. Schools create a healthy and supportive environment where students receive knowledge in various subjects from expert teachers.

There are different types of schools, including pre-schools, primary schools, secondary/middle schools, and higher education institutions. These schools offer education across different grades and follow a curriculum that typically includes subjects like science, mathematics, social studies, language arts, geography, history, and physical education. Through these subjects, teachers foster critical thinking, creativity, and personal growth in students.

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1) Types of Schools

Schools can be categorized into various types based on educational level, organizational structure, instructional methods, and more. The main categories include:

1. Preschool: Preschools focus on the basic skills, creativity, and socialization of children aged 3 to 5. These schools offer interactive classes for pre-nursery and nursery kids, emphasizing fun and foundational learning.
2. Primary/Junior School: Primary schools teach fundamental subjects like reading, writing, language, mathematics, and science. They cater to students aged 5 to 10 and typically consist of classes from the first standard to the fourth or fifth standard.
3. Middle or Secondary School: Middle schools serve students aged 10 to 13 and offer a more diverse curriculum. They include grades from the fifth standard to the seventh or eighth standard, preparing students for more advanced studies.
4. Secondary or Higher School: Secondary schools provide education at a higher level with specialized subjects, crucial for shaping future career paths. They cater to students aged 13 to 17 and offer classes from the ninth to the twelfth grade. Secondary school is further divided into two levels: Level One (9th to 10th standard) and Level Two (11th to 12th standard).

2) Grouping of class level

For the purpose of this standard, the class-levels have been grouped into five categories as given in Table below. These categories take into account the age group and the level of education to be imparted.

3) Classrooms design standards

The basic unit of a school is classroom. The classroom, apart from satisfying the minimum requirements of space, fittings and furniture, shall be designed to meet the adequate functional and environmental requirements.

The size of a classroom shall depend on the following:

• Anthropometric dimensions of children and their space requirements.
• Dimensions, arrangements of furniture and equipment and their incidence.
• Number of students to be accommodated.
• Types of activities to be carried out; and
• Diverse seating arrangements essential for these activities.

The number of classrooms in a school and the number of sections per class should depend upon the size and level of school and use efficiency of spaces.

The classroom should be designed for the following number of student places:
a) Nursery – 20 to 25 student places
b) Primary/Higher Secondary, – 40 student places

i) Area of Classroom

Area of classroom should be calculated on the basis of area needed per student place as given in Table below.

Typical illustrations of primary and secondary classrooms with alternative furniture arrangements are shown in Figure below.

ii) Class Room Fittings

Each classroom should be provided with the fittings as given in Table below.

iii) Essential Constructional Requirements

• Height of the classroom should not be less than 3.00 m measured at any point from the surface of the floor to the lowest point of the ceiling. The minimum headroom such as under the bottom of beams, fans and lights shall be 2.6 m measured vertically under such beam, fan or light.
• The proportion of the breadth ( minimum dimension.) to the length ( maximum dimension ) of the classroom should be not more than 1 : 1.5.
• Sill Heights – The sill height for classrooms with furniture arrangement should be not more than 800 mm measured from finished floor level and that for the classrooms with squatting arrangement should be not more than 600 mm.
• Rooms shall have, for the admission of light and air, one or more apertures, such as windows and fanlights, opening directly to the external air or into an open verandah. The minimum aggregate areas ( See Note – if a window is partly fixed, the openable area shall be counted. ) of such openings excluding doors inclusive of frames shall be not less than 20 percent of the floor area in case such apertures are located in one wall and not less than 15 percent of the floor area in case such apertures are located on both side walls at the same sill level.
• The minimum clear distance between the chalkboard and front edge of the first row of desks when chalkboard is in use, shall be 2200 mm.

4) Other teaching spaces

The recommended areas required for other teaching spaces are given in Table below.

The number of such teaching spaces should depend upon the enrolment ( size ), category, curriculum and use-efficiency of the school.

Science Laboratories

The size of the science laboratories depends on the following:

• Dimensions of children and their space requirements,
• Flexibility of arrangement and multiuse of spaces,
• Usefulness of the wall area, and
• Interrelationship of auxiliary spaces.

The science laboratories should be designed for 24 seats.

The science theory rooms related to laboratories should be designed on the basis of norms for a classroom for higher secondary classes.

The typical illustrations of the fittings in the physics and chemistry laboratories are shown in Figure below respectively.

The arrangement of the fan and light points in the laboratories is illustrated in Figure below.

The social science room, art room, crafts room and activity room may be designed for 40 students but the area required for these rooms [ See above Table (TEACHING SPACES OTHER THAN CLASSROOMS) Sl No. ( V to VIII ) ] should be more than the area for the ordinary classroom for 40 students, in order Tao accommodate the teaching equipment, models and activities pertaining to particular subjects.

Workshops or Vocational Training Facilities – With the introduction of 10 + 2 system, workshops/facilities to impart vocational training shall be provided in schools being covered under this system. The nature and number of such workshops/facilities shall depend upon the curriculum a particular school chooses to follow.

The vocational courses may be divided in the following two categories:

• Courses which need only a classroom each for imparting instructions ( See below List of vocational courses ), and
• Courses which need a laboratory or a workshop each in addition to a classroom ( See below List of vocational courses ).

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List of vocational courses

i) Courses which do not require workshops

Commerce and Business Related Vocations

• Office Management & Secretarial Practice
• Stenography
• Accountancy and Auditing
• Banking and Insurance
• Data and Key Punching Processes
• Marketing and Salesmanship .
• Materials Management

Education

• Pre-Primary Teacher Training
• Primary School Teacher Training
• Physical Education Teacher (Junior ) Training
• Library Assistant Training

ii) Course which require workshops

Agricultural Vocations

• Dairying
• Poultry
• Fisheries
• Forest Products
• Basic Course in Fruit & Vegetable Growing
• Agriculture
• Small Farm Management
• Agro Based Industries – Small processing units of paddy, wheat, oats and millets, bread, biscuits and cakes
• Agro Based Industries – Waste utilization – by products – Paper making, manufacture of straw board out of straw and sugar cane bagasse
• Agro Based Industries – Re-cycling of animal waste
• Farm Machines and Engineering

Engineering and Technical Vocations

• Basic Electrical Technology
• Basic Electronic Technology
• Basic Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Technology
• Automobile Servicing and Maintenance
• Elementary Sanitary Technology
• Laboratory Technician’s Course
• Furniture Design and Manufacture
• Textile Bleaching, Dyeing and Finishing
• Leather Goods Technology

Vocations Relating to Home Science

• Food Processing and Preservation
• Baking and Confectionery
• Nutrition and Food Preparation
• Canteen Management ( Small Scale )
• Dress Designing and Making
• Textiles and Designs

Health and Para-Medical

• Multipurpose Health Workers
• Junior Medical Social Workers
• Pharmacist’s Course
• Optometry

Miscellaneous Vocations

• Tourism
• Photography
• Graphic Arts
• Commercial Arts
• Music

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The size of the laboratories or workshops required for various vocational courses should be the same as that of science laboratories given in Table below ( TEACHING SPACES OTHER THAN CLASSROOMS ).

The provision of the fittings and fixtures in the workshops or laboratories for vocational courses in a school shall depend upon the nature of the courses being conducted.

5) Functional requirements

The level of illumination for various visual tasks shall be as given in Table below.

Maximum acceptable noise levels in classrooms and other teaching spaces due to external sources should be 40 dB(A) or equivalent to NC-35.

Level of ventilation in the classrooms and other teaching areas shall be six air changes per hour.

6) Administrative spaces

i) Pre-school and Primary School

An area of about 10 m2 may be provided for a room for headmistress/headmaster of the school. Another area of 10 m2 may be provided for general storage.

ii) Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools

The prevision of areas for the rooms for the Principal, Vice-Principal, general office, etc, shall depend upon the total enrolment in the school. The minimum areas for the various administrative purposes for two categories of enrolment number are given in Table 6 for guidance.

Principal’s Room

The size of the room for the principal of the school may be governed by the space needed for parents’ meeting, waiting space and space for toilets.

Vice-Principal’s Room

Generally the control of examination and records of the school is looked after by the vice-principal. The space for his room may be decided taking these factors into account. In case there is no vice-principal of the school, the area for the above function may be provided suitably.

General Office

Apart from the working space for general office staff, it should provide space for fee collection, student’s contact, parent’s contact, etc.

Teaching Staff Area

Staff common room which may contain facilities for lockers for all teachers, office tables and chairs, easy chairs and a separate toilet facility for staff should be provided in all secondary and higher secondary schools.

7) Student’s spaces

When designing a school, provision of indoor areas for student activities appropriate to the level of school as given in Table below shall be considered.

There should be provision of spaces for indoor games either separate or as a part of spaces provided at Sl No. (i), (vii) and (x) of Table above.

8) Circulation areas

Circulation areas such as corridors, entrance halls, staircases, etc, in the school buildings with double loaded and single loaded corridors & all not be more than 18 % and 24 % of the total covered area of the building respectively.

9) Outdoor areas

Outdoor areas for a school such as playgrounds, open air assembly, parking, etc, shall depend upon the following:

• The size of the school, and
• The location of the school, that is: Urban, Suburban, or Rural.

For outdoor spaces under lawns, courtyards, etc, an area of 1 m2 per student should be provided.

It is desirable to make a provision for play fields for all categories of schools. The following areas should be adequate for playing games Iike cricket, football, hockey and other Indian games:

These spaces may be shared by a few schools in high density areas for purpose of land economy. Regional game preferences and local topography shall, however, determine the extent and nature of play fields.

It should be possible to extend the teaching areas in the open space beyond the classrooms and for this purpose such open spaces should be designed to provide for chalkboards, raised platforms and outside sitting arrangements.

Parking areas for the following should be provided when designing a school building:

NOTE – The designer should ascertain the percentage of students/staff using different types of vehicles and the number of service vehicles coming to the school and calculate the parking area to be provided on the basis of the figures given above.

10) Selection of site

While selecting the site of school buildings, the following points should be kept in mind:

• Easy accessibility from residential areas;
• Site should be away from heavy traffic roads, rivers, ponds, railway tracks, etc;
• Site should be away from high tension lines;
• The land should not be of made-up ground unless precautions have been taken for stabilization;
• Site should ensure a good natural drainage; and
• The site should preferably be at a quiet place away from places generating noise and pollution, such as cinemas, factories and shopping centres.

11) Effect of landscape elements

• While planning the school building, the importance of landscape elements such as open areas, to increase the comfort conditions inside the building and also in the surrounding environment, should be kept in mind.
• Plants, hedges and shrubs planted immediately outside the classroom windows where such windows are the principal source of natural light and ventilation should not protrude beyond the sill level.
• The rows of tall or shady trees should be at right angles to the source of light to the building in order to avoid glare in the rooms. At the same time the tall and shady trees, walls, or any obstruction in front of the classroom windows should be at a distance to ensure adequate amount of lighting and ventilation. This distance may be taken equal to the height of the building.

12) Exit requirements

i) General

The following general requirements shall apply to exits:

• All exits shall be free of obstructions;
• Exits shall be clearly visible and the routes to reach the exit shall be clearly marked and sign posted to guide the students to the floor concerned;
• All exit ways shall be properly illuminated; and
• Exits shall be so arranged that they may be reached without passing through another occupied unit.

ii) Types of Exits

Exits shall be either of horizontal or vertical type. An exit may be a doorway, corridor, an internal or external staircase, ramps or verandahs and/or terraces which have access to the street or to the roof of a building.

An exit may also include a horizontal exit leading to an adjoining building at the same level.

Lifts and escalators shall not be considered as exits.

iii) Number and Size of Exits

The requisite number and size of various exits shall be provided, based on the number of students and staff in each room area and floor, capacity of exits, travel distance and height of buildings according to provisions given as below.

Arrangement of Exits

Exits shall be so located that the distance from an exit to the most remote point in the floor area served by them, measured along the line of travel shall in no case be greater than 30 metres, except that where sprinklers are installed throughout a building the maximum distance of travel to an exit may be increased by 50 percent.
Wherever more than one exit is required for a floor of building, exits shall be placed as remote from each other as possible. All the exits shall be accessible from entire floor area at all floor levels.

Capacity of Exits

The capacity of exits ( doors and stairways ) indicating the number of persons that could be safely evacuated through a unit exit width of 50 cm shall be as given below:

Stairways – 25 Numbers
Doors – 75 Numbers

There shall be a minimum of two staircases and one of them shall be an enclosed stairway and the other shall be on the external walls of buildings and shall open directly to the exterior, interior open space or to any open place of safety.

Notwithstanding the detailed provision for exits as above the minimum width for stairways shall be 2.00 metres.

iv) Other Requirements of Individual Exits

The detailed requirements of individual exits are given as below.

Doorways

Every exit doorway shall open into an enclosed stairway, a horizontal exit, on a corridor or passage way providing continuous and protected means of egress.

No exit doorway shall be less than 100 cm in width. Doorways shall be not less than 200 cm in height. Doorways for bathrooms, water-closet, etc, shah be not less than 75 cm wide.

Exit doorways shall open outwards, that is, away from the room but shall not obstruct the travel along any exit. No door, when opened, shall reduce the required width of stairway or landing to less than 90 cm; overhead or sliding doors shall not be installed.

Exit door shall not open immediately upon a flight or stairs; a landing equal to at least the width of the door shall be provided in the stairway at each doorway, level of landing shall be the same as that of the floor which it serves.

Stairways

• Interior stairs shall be constructed of non-combustible materials throughout.
• Interior staircase shall be constructed as a self-contained unit with at least one side adjacent to an external wall and shall be completely enclosed.
• A staircase shall not be arranged round a lift shaft unless the latter is entirely enclosed by a material of fire resistance rating as that for type of construction itself.
• Hollow combustible construction shah not be permitted.
• The minimum tread shall be 30 cm. The treads shall be constructed and maintained in a manner to prevent slipping.
• The maximum height of riser shall be 15 cm. They shall be limited to 12 per flight.
• Handrails shall be provided with a minimum height of 90 cm from the centre of the tread.
• The minimum headroom in a passage under the landing of a staircase and under the staircase shall be 2.2 m.

Fire Escape or External Stairs

For buildings above 15 m in height fire escape stairs shall be provided subject to the following conditions:

• Fire escapes shall not be taken into account in calculating the evacuation time of a building.
• All fire escapes shall be directly connected to the ground.
• Entrance to fire escape shall be separate and remote from the internal staircase.
• The route to fire escape shall be free of obstructions at all times, except a doorway leading to the fire escape which shall have the required fire resistance.
• Fire escape shall be constructed of non-combustible materials.
• Fire escape stairs shall have straight flight not less than 75 cm wide with 15 cm treads and risers not more than 19 cm. The number of risers shall be limited to 16 per flight.
• Handrails shall be of a height not less than 90 cm.

Spiral Stairs ( Fire Escape )

The use of spiral staircase shall be limited to low occupant load and to a building of height 9 m, unless they are connected to platforms, such as balconies and terraces to allow escapes to pause.

A spiral fire escape shall be not less than 150 cm in diameter and shall be designed to give adequate headroom.

Ramps

• Ramps with a slope of not more than 1 in 10 may be substituted for and shall comply with all the applicable requirements of required stairways as to enclosure, capacity and limiting dimensions. Ramps shall be surfaced with approved non-slipping materials.
• Handrails shall be provided on both sides of the ramp.
• Ramps shall lead directly to outside open space at ground level or courtyards or safe places.

Corridors

• The minimum width of a corridor shall not be less than 150 cm and actual width shall be calculated based on the provisions given in Arrangement of Exits and Capacity of Exits, as for doorways.
• In case of more than one main staircase of the building interconnected by a corridor or other enclosed space, there shall be at least one smoke-stop door across the corridor or enclosed space between the doors in the enclosing walls of any two staircases.

13) Water supply and sanitary requirements

Water Supply Requirements

The arrangements should be made to supply 45 litres of water per head per day in school buildings apart from the requirements of water for fire fighting. The laying and distribution of water supply system should be according to provisions given in IS : 2065-19721.

ii) Sanitary Requirements

The requirements for the fitments for drainage and sanitation in schools should be in accordance with Table given below.

The selection, installation and maintenance of sanitary appliances should be in accordance with IS code.

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