Poor classroom air negatively affects learning performance

Since the corona crisis, school ventilation has been in the spotlight, especially to prevent the spread of the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Research published today by Maastricht University (UM) shows that poor ventilation also affects the test scores of elementary school students and thus the core task of schools, good education. Effect on learning performance now demonstrated . UM's research took place over a period of five years in 270 classrooms spread across 27 schools of educational foundation MOVARE in South Limburg. The results show that elementary school students perform significantly worse on tests when exposed to elevated CO2 levels in the learning period before that test. Poor air quality delays their cognitive development, with the strongest effects measured for math and language skills (reading). The measured effects are greater than the much-discussed negative impact of school closures during the corona crisis.