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Strong Local Voice, Strong Local ChampionAnnette Brooke, Lib Dem MP for Mid Dorset & North Poole |
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Annette Brooke MP supports campaign for better sounding schools
June 10, 2009 5:34 PM
Annette Brooke MP from Mid Dorset North Poole has joined the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) in calling for the Government to ensure new schools meet national building standards so that all children can listen and learn effectively. This is in light of new Freedom of Information data (1) received by NDCS showing only 21% of the local authorities who responded in England stated they had new schools in their area with acoustics that meet the Government's building standards.
High quality acoustics in the classroom are necessary for all children to be able to learn, and for deaf children they are vital. Yet the Freedom of Information data shows that many local authorities are not testing whether new schools comply with the standards. Only 60% stated they did testing, despite a government recommendation that they should do so.
Furthermore, even where testing is carried out, over half (52%) of the local authorities had schools that failed to meet the government building standard.
On Tuesday 9 June at a parliamentary event held by NDCS, MPs met a group of deaf teenagers to discuss the detrimental effect poor acoustics in the classroom can have on their education. Last year NDCS launched the Sounds Good? campaign to demand the Government take urgent action to ensure schools are built appropriately for deaf children, and that the listening environments are tested for quality before they are used.
Annette Brooke MP, explained:
"I fully support the NDCS Sounds Good? campaign, and it was fantastic to meet deaf young people today to discuss how poor acoustics can affect them at school. It does not seem ethical to place a child in a classroom in which they cannot learn. Barriers such as this must be broken down if we want to give deaf children the best chance of achieving their full educational potential."
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