Design Plan of Lecture-cum-Laboratory Room as Suggested by UNESCO Planning Mission of Experts

Design of Lecture-cum-Laboratory Plan

UNESCO Planning Mission of Experts was asked to give their recommendations as how to conduct science teaching in the schools. It was on the basis of their recommendations that Panel for Science Education in Secondary Schools suggested the plan known as Lecture-cum-Laboratory.

Main features of design of this plan are as follows:

i. It is on the ground floor that laboratory should situate. It should situate on the extreme side of the school building as this ensure that classroom teaching will not get disturbed by activities conduct in laboratories in any way.

ii. The size of laboratory room should be 825 sq. ft., by which total forty students can indulge in practical works at a time. If number of students in the class is large then proper provision of another laboratory should be made in the school, which should be 490 sq. ft in size.

This should be an extension of lecture cum laboratory room having a common store cum preparation room which should measles 160 sq. ft in between. Thus, the area per student in these two laboratories will come to be 125 sq. ft. and 20.4 sq. ft. in respective manner. Out of these two laboratories, one can be assigned for one subject and second for another subject.

iii. Portable furniture’s should be place out in the laboratory. In first laboratory, having big size, standard size of tables should be 3′.4″ x 3′.4″x2′.9″. In these tables, there is no need to provide any kind of shelves. In the second laboratory having small size, standard size of tables should be 4″x1.9″x2.6″.

There should be provision of under shelf in these tables by which students can get space to keep their books and other materials in them. There should be provision of a raised platform of 7″ height, on which teacher’s table should be placed out.

Measurement of teacher’s table should be 8’x2′.6″ to 2′.9″. To facilitate demonstration, there should be provision of sink, gas and light fittings in the laboratory. If desirable, provision of cupboard and drawers should be made in the laboratory room.

In each laboratory, sufficient provision of wall shelves and stone ledges for the balances should be made. In the walls, sinks should be properly attached. There is no need to provide cupboard in student’s tables. Thick dark curtains should be used in the room by which Physics practical can be made with ease. In the wall near teacher’s table, there should be proper provision of a good chalkboard which should have a length of 8′ and width of 3′. For hanging charts or pictures, there should be provision of railing along the walls, and shelves for proper display of various kinds of materials.

iv. There should be adequate provision for light, water and drainage in the laboratory room. Doors and windows should be constructed at such places through which maximum day light can be obtained. From the finished floor, windows should situated at a height of 3 inch, as it will provide enough light on the tables having height of 2’3″.

Windows should be constructed in such a manner that they get open to outside. Although provision of doors and windows should be made in the room, but still proper arrangement of artificial light should be made by which students do not find any kind of problem in conducting practical’s in season when day light is not available. Water supply should be made adequately in the laboratory room.

On the walls, four water points with sinks having measurement of 12″x9″x6″ should be provided. In absence of availability of water, small drums of water should be placed near the each sink by which students do not face any kind of difficulty in performing experiments.