At Primary School No. 2, a school “Day of Silence” is organized, whenever possible, once a month. On this day, the bell is switched off, and students try to remain silent or speak in whispers. Teachers assess the silence and work during lessons in each class, recording the results on a special board. Breaks between lessons can be spent in the corridor, in the schoolyard, or in specially prepared relaxation and board-game zones. During breaks, “guardians of silence” also reward the quietest students with special stickers, which are then counted, and their total is added to the overall score.
The title of “Quietest Class” goes to the group that earns the most points. In addition, themed displays are prepared on this day, and some classes make posters about the harmful effects of noise. Recently, we also conducted a survey among students entitled “Does Noise at School Bother Me?” Its results will be presented during the March “Day of Silence”.
“We also plan to turn down the volume of the bells at our school slightly and try to have an Electronic Ear (Sound Ear Elektronic) installed in the corridors—a device that sounds an alarm when it is too loud in a room,” explains the school’s headteacher, Irena Sikora-Kołodyńska.
Noise accompanies people for almost the entire day. Schools in particular are places where its permissible threshold is routinely exceeded—the noise level during a school break reaches 85–100 dB.
The problem is serious, and even the students themselves are gradually beginning to realize this.
“They often tell us that noise bothers them and that places such as the relaxation and board-game zones are very much needed at school. This is very important feedback for educators, because it shows teachers that the project addresses the problem and should be continued,” adds the school’s headteacher.