It can hardly be disputed that a school environment should be conducive or, at the very least, not prohibitive to effective learning. The provision of fair, equal and barrier-free access to education is referred to as inclusive education. South Africa supports a policy of inclusive schooling, striving to accommodate all children, including those with disabilities, in mainstream schools. This article sets out to prove that noise control in classrooms is a relevant, yet neglected, aspect of inclusive classroom design in South Africa and requires specific attention. The objectives of this study are to: (1) establish the impact that noise has on learners with sensory, language or learning impairments; (2) establish the preferred listening conditions for these learners by examining prior research and guidelines available in other countries; and (3) outline the current South African regulations pertaining to classroom acoustics and assess them against the preferred listening environment.
Reference:
Van Reenen, C.A. and Karusseit, C. 2017. Classroom acoustics as a consideration for inclusive education in South Africa. South African Journal of Communication Disorders, vol. 64(1): doi.org/10.4102/sajcd.v64i1.550
Van Reenen, C. A., & Karusseit, C. (2017). Classroom acoustics as a consideration for inclusive education in South Africa. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/9620
Van Reenen, Coralie A, and C Karusseit "Classroom acoustics as a consideration for inclusive education in South Africa." (2017) http://hdl.handle.net/10204/9620
Van Reenen CA, Karusseit C. Classroom acoustics as a consideration for inclusive education in South Africa. 2017; http://hdl.handle.net/10204/9620.