Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Points To Look At When Building Schools In Africa Slums

By Stephen Snyder


The building of learning institutions has been a way of improving the education level of the people around. In developing countries, schools are scarce especially in the poor and rural areas. This has deteriorated the literacy standards in particular areas. In slums, to be precise, there is a serious problem with classrooms for students to learn. Building schools in Africa slums is now an everyday activity that has been embraced in the recent days.

Government, parents and non-governmental organizations have come together to fund projects that will ensure the education sector is improved. When constructing the classrooms, it is paramount for the organizations providing the resources to make sure that the environment will be suitable for learning. Students are easily demoralized from learning when they are in a room that is noisy and overcrowded. As such, the contractors who are in charge of the construction should consider how the design of the classroom will be. Below are some issues that should be put in mind during the construction.

Many children live in the slums. It is the responsibility of every parent to ensure that their kids are receiving a quality education. As such, the rooms that are built are supposed to be big enough for all the children. A large space will provide comfort and a favorable atmosphere for learning. It should also provide a small office for the teachers.

The organizations funding the projects must find a way of reducing the cost. If the project is being financed by the poor community, they might want to lower the cost of building so that they can have enough rooms. However, it is important to consider the quality. Apart from looking at the expense of constructing a single school, organizations must also take into account the maintenance cost. People should not overlook the aspect of quality in the name of saving on cost.

In most cases, slums have a problem of accessing electricity. For those who are using power, at times the bill is too expensive to pay. As such, many institutions rely on sunlight for illumination. Contractors are supposed to find a way of which enough sunlight can be brought into the room to enhance learning. Using glass can be risky since the kids can injure themselves when they break the glass. For this reason, the contractor can consider using wood to construct the windows.

The construction materials are also necessary to put into consideration. Their availability will impact the cost of the project. It is good to use materials that are readily available in the area. Organizations must make sure that they have gathered enough materials that will cover the whole project.

There should also be the availability of social amenities like consistent water supply. Having enough water in small institutions and enough sanitation services is essential. The institutes ought to have enough toilets for the children and teachers. If having tap water is a challenge, a borehole can be drilled to ensure that the supply is consistent.

Once the rooms have been built, they should be properly maintained. The people who are in charge of the construct are required to create a plan where the institution shall be maintained well, and the environment kept safe for the children.




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