MPs come out in force to demand action on acoustics in schools

In a massive show of support, over 45 MPs came to a Parliamentary event today to learn more about a NDCS survey that reveals for the first time the scale of poor acoustics in our children's schools.

At the event in the Houses of Parliament, MPs met deaf children from the NDCS North London local group, St. Paul's Way school in east London and Sweyne Park school in Essex to learn about their experiences of good and bad acoustics.

MPs also listened to a computer simulation of what it sounds like to a deaf child to be in a classroom with poor acoustics.

The event was hosted by Conservative MP, John Bercow to support NDCS's Sounds good? campaign for better acoustics in schools.

At the time of writing, over 50 MPs had already also shown their support by signing a parliamentary petition (known as an early day motion) expressing concern about the issue.

Survey of local authorities

Also today, NDCS has published the findings from a survey of a group of local authorities about acoustics in new school buildings. The snapshot survey found that:

Overall, only 21% of local authorities surveyed could confirm to NDCS that acoustics in schools in their area met government standards.
Many local authorities did not even test their acoustics.
But where local authorities did test the acoustics in schools in their area, over half had schools that failed to meet the government's standards.

As far as NDCS is aware, the Government has done no survey itself of acoustics in new school buildings. This makes our snapshot survey the first attempt to establish the extent of poor acoustics in schools, and confirms what many parents and professionals have been telling us.

NDCS is demanding that the Government make sure that all new school buildings are tested for their acoustics, and that poor acoustics are dealt with before the school opens.

More information:

NDCS note on results of survey of acoustics in new schools (352 kb)