Noise pollution around school buildings in Nigeria is one issue many people overlook until it starts affecting learning in obvious ways. You cannot help but notice it when you pass by busy roadways adjacent to school buildings and hear motor vehicles honking their horns, loudspeakers blaring, generator set output sounds, and marketplace noises all together at once. You begin to wonder how children can stay focused while attending school under such conditions, as there are many schools throughout Nigeria that are located in urban congested areas that are affected by significant amounts of surrounding noise pollution.
Sources of such noise pollution are numerous. Many schools are located directly next to major highways. Many of these schools have been constructed on property where the school‘s fence is directly next to an open marketplace. In addition, there are many schools where the school is located directly next to a place where worship takes place, such as a church or mosque, or where large numbers of people gather to wait for transportation to work, such as motor vehicle parks, or large building sites where construction of buildings is occurring.
When one walks into a classroom where these types of noise pollution exist, the noise can be felt from within the classroom before it is even heard. Teachers must raise their voices above the noise to be heard by students. To pay attention to what the teacher is saying, the student must lean forward in their chair. This problem is becoming an increasing concern regarding the level of pollution that exists in Nigerian schools.
Noise Pollution Around School Buildings and Attention to Learning
In addition to distracting students from learning, noise significantly delays the student‘s ability to learn. In classrooms where the sound level of the conversation is very loud and noisy, students are unable to hear the teacher‘s instructions properly. Teachers must repeat themselves numerous times because of this. As a result, the time required to teach the lessons feels longer to students, who consequently become bored faster.
Many students respond differently to environmental factors like sounds around them. Some will try to find ways to block out sounds, while others will give up on finding ways to ignore them and ultimately lose focus during testing periods. During exam periods, the effects of these disruptions become much more pronounced. If you have ever taken a test and heard something loud enough to distract you, then you can imagine the difficulty that a student experiences when they have to write a test while there is a trailer truck engine running outside or a generator shaking the school building from within.
Many people assume children will eventually learn to overcome the noise in their school environment, but this is false. Many children will have more difficulty remembering things or reading effectively because their brains are working overtime to deal with the distractions around them. As a result, their ability to recall information and perform academically suffers.
School Kids and Noise Pollution Challenges
Noise affects our mind and body in ways most do not know. Children who go to noisy schools may develop the following:
- Constant headaches
- Difficulty sleeping at home after a school
- Anxiety or irritability
- Ringing in the ears
- Difficulty in hearing low sounds
The lack of a proper school environment is not simply a minor inconvenience. Over time, a poor education environment will lead to a larger public health issue in Nigeria. Some students feel that learning in an uncomfortable area is not worth the trouble and cannot be motivated to attend school. In addition, teachers struggle with sore throats due to yelling at their students all day.
Stress in a school setting will greatly impact the emotional state of the students attending that school. When classrooms are filled with noise, the students and their teachers may experience higher levels of stress. This will cause students to be fatigued quickly and for teachers to lose patience with their students. Ultimately, this will negatively impact the classroom management of teachers and the behaviours of students.
Common Sources of Noise Around Nigerian Schools
The usual suspects include:
- Vehicle traffic
- Motorcycle and tricycle engines
- Street vendors
- Outdoor speakers
- Construction activities
- Generators
- Religious centres
- Market crowds
- Nearby events or ceremonies
Schools that are situated in mixed-use areas take in the loudest noise. Some of these buildings sit close to roads and have no buffer or setback to check the commotion. The noise heads straight into the kids’ classrooms.
Why School Buildings in Nigeria Face Noise pollution Around Them
Some schools were built before there was a surrounding community. Over time, residential and commercial areas have developed around the school. Some schools have always been built in substandard locations to save money. People purchase vacant land for schools simply because land is expensive and they do not have a choice. Most local municipalities will not enforce zoning or other planning regulations, and as a result, more and more noise will be absorbed in the surroundings of schools.
Many schools do not have adequate soundproofing in place. Many students attend classrooms with windows that are either broken or open. Classrooms shake when heavy trucks pass by. Many schools have generators in their schoolyard that supply power to classrooms. These types of conditions contribute to the environmental problems that schools in Nigeria experience on a daily basis.
The Steps Schools and Communities can Take
It does not necessarily require a large budget to reduce noise. Small, steady changes can go a long way.
- Plant trees around school fences
- Build simple sound barriers using concrete or wood
- Create buffer spaces between classrooms and road fences
- Move generators farther from classrooms
- Install rubber stoppers on windows to reduce vibration
- Adjust school hours if noise peaks at certain times
- Encourage community leaders to control outdoor speakers near schools
Parents and guardians can also meet with the school authorities about noise issues. Many schools respond when they see strong support.
Where the Government can Come in
There are more major steps that require local and state-level authorities.
- Enforce zoning rules that consider the serenity of school environments
- Frown at loud activities near schools during school hours
- Supply schools with soundproofing materials
- Relocate markets or motor parks built too close to schools
- Include noise control in school inspection visits
These measures protect students and teachers. They also enhance fair learning conditions for children in crowded cities.
A Serene School Surroundings
I remember when I used to go to a school where the street was located only a short distance from the classroom window, so the noise was almost constant. Every time a loud motorcycle drove by the classroom window, students would flinch. And the teachers would often have to stop teaching and wait for the noise from traffic to die down. Therefore, the pace of lessons was often slow compared to other schools. By the end of the day, most students appeared to be extremely tired, even before the school bell rang.
This experience also serves as a reminder of how much the surroundings of a school can affect how well students learn.
Noise pollution around school buildings in Nigeria is not simply a nuisance. It has significant negative impacts on the ability of a student to concentrate, be healthy, behave positively and perform academically. By improving the sound environment at a school, we can also support the developmental efforts of all children who attend school in that environment daily.
