Children should have the right to decent school grounds but many do not, writes Helen Forrest. They play each day in degraded and brutalised physical environments that often have an effect on their emotional and spiritual well being.
Does grey, empty tarmac spaces spring to mind when you hear the word 'playground'? Areas of total deprivation, where children have little or no access to green or semi natural open spaces mean that our children are not getting the best start in life.
Nationally school grounds make up 63% of all school estate, but historically they are the last aspect of school design to be thought of, and the first element to be cut when budgets are strained. Children spend up to a third of their school working day in the outdoor school environment and for many it is the only outdoor space they spend any time in - the one stable point for many in a chaotic personal world.
Learning through Landscapes, for whom I work, is the national school grounds charity, enables young people to enjoy the many unique opportunities and experiences that well designed, managed and used school grounds can provide. It brings children into contact with their natural world in their crucial formative years; advances their rights to enjoy and benefit from their school grounds; provides advice and support on all aspects of school grounds development and use; and runs a number of programmes for school communities throughout the country.
Without LTL many children could miss out on a vital opportunity to be healthy and happy in their formative years, and to gather the experiences they need to be healthy and successful adults. Have you got views on school grounds? Then make them known by completing LTL's online survey or start the discussion right here and now.