MELVILLE, N.Y., June 15 (UPI) -- The Acoustical Society of America advises U.S. schools not to use sound-amplification systems to overcome noisy conditions in classrooms.
While acknowledging that amplification systems have many valid uses in schools, the ASA's statement urges the use of the American National Standard Institute's American National Standard Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements and Guidelines for Schools to improve classroom acoustics.
The standard gives guidelines for designing new classrooms, or renovating old ones, to reach acoustical performance criteria needed to make sounds intelligible for most participants in learning spaces.
"ASA has been concerned for many years about poor acoustics in America's classrooms and the deleterious effects poor acoustics have on the ability of children to learn and teachers to teach," said ASA President William Yost. "The best way to improve classroom acoustics is through the proper design and renovation of classrooms as specified -- using sound amplification in an attempt to overcome poor classroom acoustics only makes the situation worse. There should be less sound in the classroom, not more."
