Chapter 7
Building and Development
Recommended space requirements in child care centres and kindergartens
7.1
The minimum floor area per child in a child care centre was until recently 1.8m excluding service areas such as kitchens and toilets.
This hasz now been amended to give a choice between 1.8m excluding service area or 2.3m including them. It is further proposed that in centres operating half-day, the floor space standard for children aged 2-6, should be changed to 1.8m including service areas. This reduction is intended to take into account the smaller space required by centres operating on a half-day basis.
7.2
It
At present kindergartens are required to provide a classroom area of at least 0. 9m2
per pupil. The classroom space normally provided for the teacher is an area of 1.5m in width extending along the whole length of the wall in front of the pupils. It is felt that these standards probably provide reasonably adequate total space, especially with a more informal arrangement of chairs and tables. However, it is considered illogical to define a specific location for the teacher, as he should be mingling with the pupils. Allowance must however be made for the teacher within the total space specification. is therefore proposed that the area for each child should be increased from
2 0.9m per pupil to 1.2m per pupil and that the area for the teacher should be twice that of a child, namely, 2.4m. This formula represents a realistic concept of the way in which space should be used without actually making any very great change in existing standards, especially in small schools. In making this proposal the Government has taken into account the very small classrooms in many housing estates which, with more stringent space requirements, would cease to be viable units. However it is proposed that the space require- ments as well as maximum class size of 30 recommended in Chapter 5 should be rigidly enforced and that the penalties for infringement should be severe.
Planning standards for child care centres
7.3
Subvented child care centre places have so far been provided on the following arbitrary basis:
(a)
(b)
1,000 new day centre places per annum so far as suitable premises and sponsors are available. This figure was
first adopted in 1966 and was to have been reviewed in 1968. No review was, however, conducted;
for the purpose of earmarking accommodation for child
care centres in new and redeveloped public housing estates,
a planning ratio of 100 places for every 20,000 population has been adopted in recent years.
On the basis of (b) above it is estimated that between 1979/80 to 1982/83, accommodation will be earmarked for 50 new day care centres providing a total of 5,320 places.
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