Many schools in California like GEMS have an outdoor campus, though on the east coast schools are indoor, which can lead to controversy. Some students may argue an indoor school would be preferable, but the benefits are clear as to the reason for an outdoor campus.
An outdoor campus can contribute to a healthier environment and help reduce the spread of sickness. During the Coronavirus pandemic, having an outdoor campus led to a safer environment for students and staff. Other illnesses and viruses also are less contagious from the fresh air, which helps with the school’s attendance and overall wellness.
Outdoor campuses provide students with a space to take a break and get fresh air. For some students, stepping outside allows them to refocus, improving their mindset and helping them concentrate on their schoolwork.
Indoor schools can give a warm place to take a break although students may be more beneficial by getting fresh air outside. Having an indoor school can give an opportunity for breaks all year round whether it is raining. Snowing or just too cold to enjoy.
Outdoor schools also may cause chaos. Having an outdoor campus gives animals, insects, and rodents an easier way to get inside. With students’ food and a warm classroom, animals tend to go inside of the classroom which gives schools a bad learning environment.
Although an indoor school may lower the insects, and rodents to get inside the school, students eating will still attract insects, and the warm school environment during the winter will increase the population of unwanted critters.
Outdoor schools also are not favorable in the winter. Although California has nice weather, the winter gets brisk and tends to rain. On days it rains, students still need to walk to class, but the risk of tripping or slipping is a high risk.
Outdoor schools give a place for students to relax and be warm, although indoor schools tend to be smaller in size and give students a narrow space to get to class which may cause tripping and other injuries.
Having an outdoor campus gives students a chance to have fresh air and help the spread of illnesses, but it also can make a cold wet campus, or an insect filled campus. The benefits are clear to why an outdoor campus is excellent but the detriments are also clear.
