Best Practice

What can schools do about pollution?

We are finding out more about the impact of poor air quality on our children, especially in urban areas. But what can schools do to protect their pupils and to raise awareness? Suzanne O’Connell reports

In May 2018, the report Indoor Air Quality in London’s Schools was published. It had been commissioned by the major of London and investigated the level of indoor air pollution in the capital’s schools.

It comes at a time of increasing concern about levels of childhood asthma in the UK. In fact, the UK has the highest level of childhood asthma among all European countries. Almost 10 per cent of children in the UK suffer from asthma and prevalence is particularly high in urban schools.

The report’s researchers found that, according to existing studies, children attending schools near high-density traffic roads were exposed to higher levels of motor vehicle exhaust gases and there was a greater likelihood of childhood asthma and wheezing.

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