Schools Surrounded By Vegetation Enhance Children’s Cognitive Development
Research focused on the study of Barcelona primary school students suggests that Boys and girls who attend schools with vegetation and nearby natural spaces tend to develop their cognitive skills better The results have been recently published in PNAS.
The research team tested the students’ abilities in terms of concentration and working memory, which is the ability to temporarily hold something in mind to carry out a task. The result of the data analysis shows how students who attend a school surrounded by green areas They perform better in these dimensions. Furthermore, differences in the socioeconomic status of the boys’ and girls’ families do not explain this finding.
The study used as a sample a total of 2,000 second, third and fourth grade students who attended 36 schools located in Barcelona (Spain). To sort each of the schools according to the amount of vegetation around them, the team took satellite photographs of each of the educational centers and measured the amount of green that appeared on their grounds and on their perimeter.
Part of the reason why students in schools surrounded by greenery might be performing better could be found in the quality of the air they breathe as revealed by the analyzes of the concentration of pollution All plants provide fresh air to the environment, but trees and bushes also act as a barrier against air currents contaminated by car smoke. The same effect of physical isolation occurs with noises that come from urban environments making it easier for students to concentrate on tasks.
Furthermore, the presence of areas with vegetation could enhance the use of the environment for practicing sports. Since regular exercise helps reduce stress levels and can improve performance in certain cognitive areas it is very possible that students who attend schools immersed in a green environment feel more stimulated to attend in class and easily assimilate what they learn, as they are not distracted and have their minds well trained to attend.
The environment affects us more than we thought
The social and urban implications are more or less obvious: replacing concrete patios and urban environments with wooded areas could have a positive impact on the way classes are used (and, in the process, improve the health of the students and professionals at the center). Of course, not all schools have the possibility of opening up to natural spaces as they are located in the center of large cities, but directing efforts to place even a few wooded areas on school grounds could be a quick and easy way to help young people to better train their mental abilities.
Childhood is a time in which the slightest changes in the context can powerfully influence the cognitive development and staying close to areas untouched by human labor need not be too much to ask.
