Figure 1.-- The basic construction can vary widely, such as the heating system. Some have systes dating froim before Wold War II whie other schools have very modern systems. |
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Prepararory schools varied greatly in the facilities they made available to the children. Some well-endowed schools had expansive grounds and offered a wide range of academic, sports, and recreational facilities. Some schools had very limited grounds and offered much more limited facilities. Most schools fell somewhere between these two extremes. Even in the classrooms facilities varied. Some classrooms were barebones affairs with just a blackboard and desks and very little else. Other classrooms were bright appointed with posters and other colorful and interesting decorations. A major factor here was the teacher. Sometimes there were terariums or cages for small animals. Many schools were still using very old classroom furniture. Often there were plants the children were growing. Maps were common additions. There might be comfortable books for reading. And of course computers made their appearances in some classes. The basic construction can vary widely, such as the heating system. Some have systems dating from before World War II whie other schools have very modern systems. Of course there are two different kinds of classrooms. The younger children have form room classes. Gradually as the children advance in the school, subject classes become more important. Of course the facilities and set up in the form classes and specialized subject classes can be very different. Schools varies in the ability to set up and equip specialized classes such as foreig lsngusage, art, and science. Many prep schools in the 1980s were in the process of modernizing and better equipping the classrooms. Many schools had installed or were in the process of installing better equipped science classes.
Prepararory schools varied greatly in the facilities they made available to the children. Some well-endowed schools had expansive grounds and offered a wide range of academic, sports, and recreational facilities. Some schools had very limited grounds and offered much more limited facilities. Most schools fell somewhere between these two extremes. Even in the classrooms facilities varied.
Some classrooms were barebones affairs with just a blackboard and desks and very little else. At some schools there seems to have been very littke effort to decorate the ckassrooms. We think that this was relatively commom before the 1980s.
Other classrooms were bright appointed with posters and other colorful and interesting decorations. nother major factor here was the teacher. Younger teachers andc women teachers were often more ibterested jn creasting an attractive classroom environment. Sometimes there were terariums or cages for small animals. Many schools were still using very old classroom furniture. Often there were plants the children were growing. Maps were common additions. There might be comfortable places for reading book. And of course computers made their appearances in some classes.
To an extent this was affected by the physical plant. Many prep schools were operating with classrooms that were converted for classroom use rather than purpose-built classrroms. Quite a few schools were founded as old mannor houses and rooms were converted to classrooms. This varied quite a bit. Some of this was done very effectively. We found charming classrooms in these old buildings. And a many schools has small class sizes, there was a degree of flexibilty as to what size speces could be used. In other cases the classrooms were very basic. We found some classrooms that barely accomodated the desks jammed into them. Others were spacious. This partly depended on the need for classrooms. We founds schools using matginal spaces like basements. In some cases this was because the schools were expanding and need additional classrooms. In other schools these msrginal spaces had been used for some time. The basic construction can vary widely, such as the heating system. Some have systems dating from before World War II while other schools have very modern systems. Quite a few schools had added purpose-nuilt classrooms or were in the prov\cess of doing so.
Of course there are two different kinds of classrooms. The younger children have form room classes. There were also specialized subject classes.
Gradually as the children advance in the school, subject classes become more important. Of course the facilities and set up in the form classes and specialized subject classes can be very different. Schools varies in the ability to set up and equip specialized classes such as foreig lsngusage, art, and science. Many prep schools in the 1980s were in the process of modernizing and better equipping the classrooms. Many schools had installed or were in the process of installing better equipped science classes.
