Tue, 04 Apr 2017 10:50:13 +0000
By EDNA MBEWE
I always feel good when I come across a building site and people tell me there is a school under construction. However, I feel sad when the contractor razes ALL forms of life in order to respect machinery used for construction.
It is well understood when trees, shrubs, grass etc which are near enough to disturb machinery are gotten rid of, but we have seen trees which are a good distance from the construction site being uprooted as well sometimes. Please read the Bible in Psalms 104:14-17 to understand the importance of nature.
I had a chance to chat with Mr Mulenga Mwaume (not real name), a supervisor or something like that, at a school construction site. He explained that most construction workers had a tendency of removing all forms of life from the construction site even when there was no interference with the machinery because they felt that the trees and grass would still be destroyed during construction anyway.
Paving
I decided to visit Mr Mulenga Mwaume’s construction site after a month. I was shocked to find that the school grounds were all paved with decorative concrete. Efforts to contact Mr Mulenga failed but I managed to talk to one of the workers who said that they were only obeying orders from the owner of the school.
According to the owner of the school, Mrs Mwamba Mwanakashi (not real name), paving every little space possible would make life easy because there would be no mad in sight. The classrooms would be clean all the time because of the absence of mad. Moreover, there would be no funny insects biting pupils and teachers. The school would also cut down on landscaping budgets and the money would be channelled to other ventures.
Much as I agree with Mrs Mwamba Mwanakashi, the school management should have selected certain places where to pave with concrete and not the whole school yard. Paving everything disturbs natural drainage when heavy rains come. One would have to professionally construct very good drainages otherwise somewhere your neighbours will have to be flooded because the water has to sink in or flow somewhere.
Paths
After a lengthy discussion with Mrs Mwamba Mwanakashi, we agreed that it was not necessary to put concrete on every little space except some footpaths where the school children should use without getting all muddy. The paved footpaths help in maintaining order and discipline as the paths will stand out and automatically direct school children where to step. Another place for concrete would be one of the sports facilities such as Basketball. Other places that require concrete paving is all around the outside water taps. When children are drawing water, they wouldn’t get all muddy because they are well protected by the concrete.
Trees
Trees were also discussed as an important aspect of a school setting. Management thought that the trees would cause problems when time came to shed their leaves. Everyone imagined the inconvenience of sweeping every hour to keep the ground neat. We spent some time to establish that the leaves on the ground does not signify a dirty surrounding as portrayed by most people in Zambia and maybe in many other parts of the world.
My heart sinks when I see people gathering leaves and burning them, with the excuse that they were making the school surrounding dirty. Perhaps the best thing to do is to put them around flower beds as manure or to heap them in one place and when they were rotten, they could be used as manure in vegetable gardens or even in the flower beds.
When trees are allowed to grow whether naturally or otherwise, they tend to beautify the surrounding and provide that kind of fresh atmosphere which is lacking in places where there is no tree at all. The shade provided by the leafy branches is very refreshing, comfortable and no much for umbrellas. The school can arrange to put benches under the trees where children can sit to eat a snack or just relax and chat.
Another use of trees is that they provide a natural Teaching/Learning Aid for the leaves, trunk, branches and any other thing that needs to be learnt. In addition to this, we have all heard about schools which have the roofs blown off by the wind. Well, having a number of strong trees around the school yard may act as a wind break or wind shield. The power of the wind is minimised before it reaches the school buildings.
Trees also help in holding the soil together to prevent soil erosion. In fact soil erosion is one of the famous topics at both primary and secondary school level. Now imagine if a school has no single tree in its yard, there would be uncontrolled wind all over the school with loose soil flying all over the show.
Hedges
The appearance of a hedge does not only beautify the school yard but it also acts as a windbreak and can help maintain order when it is planted in such a way that it prevents entry to certain places such as the carpet grass or flower beds. It can also be used as a guide along the footpaths.
Flowers
Grass and flowers would be a better alternative to an all concrete pave of a school yard. It looks more appealing and gives a friendly environment for insects to breed naturally some of which can be used in the science lessons. Insects like butterflies are rare in some of the children’s homes so it is a rare privilege to see one at school. It would really be sad for the science teacher to go to the neighbouring school to borrow insects for the science lesson just because they have no flowers and grass where these insects can thrive. It is also convenient when teaching about parts of the flower to use a live flower from the school flower bed as this will help the pupils to remember the lesson better.
Grass
Any form of grass is important in a school setting. The green colour of grass gives the pupils some form of relaxation. Whether the pupils are sitting on it or just looking at it, green grass has a relaxing effect. After a test, examination or even just a complicated lesson, pupils can be encouraged to go and relax on the grass. Green grass also provides a perfect platform to study. For a change pupils can try to sit on the grass when studying and they will feel the relaxing difference from the desks indoors.
Grass which is growing naturally can be left on very large stretches where the school can just use a lawn mower to help neaten it and use sprinklers to keep it green. However, smaller stretches inside the school yard can have easy to grow Zebra or Carpet grass which can easily be planted, weeded, and maintained as a decorative lawn. Apart from beautifying the school yard, grass provides a breeding ground for useful insects and gives the surroundings a fresh atmosphere.
Shrubs
Shrubs look nice when they are dotted systematically in the school yard either on the lawn or on the width or length of the fence. A qualified landscaper can be engaged to give advice on how to maximise the beauty of shrubs through location.
Pond and Pool
A water body like a pond or pool is always a wonder to look at. A small pond would be nice for a school to have. Small species of fish could be kept in it with some water plants like lilies allowed to grow in it. I know it would provide an out-door learning aquarium. The pond should be well fenced if the school has small children.
A swimming pool will not only provide beauty to the place but will also create a relaxing mood because of the blue colour that is perceived. Swimming lessons, as we all know have immense benefits to the growing bodies of our learners. Just like a pond, a swimming pool should also be well fenced to prevent unforeseen accidents.
Water fountain
I would classify a water fountain as a luxury to a school but let us call it a good luxury if there is such a thing. If the school can afford to put up a water fountain, it would be well and good. A fountain has got relaxing and perplexing effects on the mind of both the children and adults. Try out something: if you catch two children fighting, take them to the fountain and command them to sit down and sort out their issues. Within a few minutes you will see them making up and hugging each other, no more fighting.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have seen that all natural things have a purpose and are essential for learning. Wherever possible we should try by all means to preserve nature and we will have untold rewarding results. To zero in on schools, a natural look not only beautifies the school but also automatically uplifts its profile.
