Educational institutions have more and more problems with acoustical working environment. The present study analysed the problems in 4 elementary schools and 1 secondary school. In these schools several classrooms (N=30) were analysed for reverberation time and speech transmission index. Additionally the sound pressure level (SPL) was monitored for 565 lessons, also all activities, relevant for noise, were registered by two observers inside the classroom. The results: Only a few of the classrooms comply with the standards of the DIN 18041 of 1965, no classroom with the actual DIN 18041 of 2004 3 model classrooms comply with the standard of the actual DIN 18041 after structural sanitation During lessons SPL from 50 to 60 dB(A) in phases of silent work and 60 to 80 dBA during conversation was measured. The most important source of noise is the human voice. SPL during lessons depends on the age of the students, younger students produce more noise than older ones. Intensive behaviour training with school-beginners has the effect of reducing noise level, training in higher classes shows a lower effect. Complaints about bad acoustical working environment seems to be valid; structural sanitation of classrooms combined with early behaviour training is most suitable for reducing such noise problems.

The complete research report "Noise in educational institutions" is also available as pdf-file (in German only).