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There are important school regulations that also speak of the optimal value to be achieved for acoustic comfort. In many of the Italian schools these regulations are not respected and this often leads to learning difficulties for students and fatigue for teachers who often incur diseases of the vocal apparatus. Despite the existence of regulations and laws, today in many schools the average sound level exceeds 65dB; this significantly affects students’ attention, their learning and teachers. But how can the problem of acoustics in classrooms be solved? There can be two main solutions: acoustically correct the classroom by inserting sound-absorbing material or insert a very directive audio system inside the classroom at the service of speech
There are solutions that “lower” the internal volume of the classroom through the use of sound-absorbing acoustic material that can be installed on the ceiling, on the floor or on the walls. In the case of a classroom under construction, an acoustic ceiling could already be provided, perhaps with squares of sound-absorbing mineral wool, or through the creation of an acoustic false ceiling in the case of a classroom restoration. If, on the other hand, the classroom is already finished and furnished and you don’t want to intervene on its structure, it will be possible to insert sound-absorbing material in the form of paintings or even islands or buffets hanging from the ceiling to optimize the acoustics in an excellent way
If the classroom were to be furnished, it could be very useful to use furnishings that help the sound not to reflect and not to bounce down the hall, creating ugly echo and reverb effects. For example, thick curtains of absorbent fabric, perhaps double, can be used. Or washable cloths to cover the benches, or chairs upholstered with fabric. An acoustic solution could also be chosen for the floor by creating a textile flooring, which would exploit sound absorption to significantly improve the acoustics of the classroom. In this case it would not be necessary to redo the floors, but it would be enough to cover the existing ones with special textile slabs. Such an intervention would make the floors not only acoustically performing, but also very comfortable from a tactile and visual point of view
If it were not possible to act significantly on the acoustics of the classroom by correcting it, there is always the possibility of amplifying the teacher’s voice so as not to force him to make a continuous effort which would lead to the risk of disease for the vocal apparatus. In the case of an intervention on the audio system of the classroom, it will be essential to rely on audio specialists for reverberant environments. There are many companies that deal with audio and we could buy any speakers ourselves online, but the result could be even more disastrous. If the system is not certified to guarantee certain STI and STIPA indices (speech comprehension indices) we will only add a further difficulty and will not solve the problem of understanding by the students. It will therefore be essential to look for a company specialized in audio systems for reverberant environments, such as churches. Anyone used to working in an environment such as churches and cathedrals will certainly be able to guarantee a speech index suitable for a school classroom. It is essential that the Acoustic Technician takes measurements in the classroom at various points and at various distances to ensure homogeneous coverage of the environment through the loudspeakers
