Republic of the Philippines

Saint Theresa College of Tandag, Inc.

Graduate School
Tandag City, Surigao del Sur

Name: Rabie T. Hipulan Subject: EDUC 113_2nd Sem21/22

Course & Year: MAEd-1 Date: March 19, 2022

Activity No. 1
Discuss the following:

1. What is School Site?

2. What is School Building?
3. What is School Furniture and Equipment?
4. Importance of Educational Facilities
5. Basic Principles on Educational Facilities

1. What is School Site?

o It generally stands for the area or exact plot of land or ground on which
anything or a structure or group of structures is, has been, or is to be located.
A school site is just the piece of land or plot of ground on which a school
plant is built or is to be built. It is on the site that school buildings are erected.
It is on the site that footpaths and walkways, car parks, playgrounds, and all
other structures that make up a school are constructed. It is important that
wherever possible, the school site should be of adequate size to
accommodate all the structures, services, and activities required to
conveniently implement an educational program.
o An ideal site is the first pre-requisite of an ideal school. So a good location
should be the deciding factor. Mudaliar Commission, 1952-53 has opined that
the selection of a site will mostly depend on, whether the school is meant for
the rural or urban area. Rural schools should be established in villages with a
good population, which are easily accessible to the surrounding villages, and
there should be enough open space for playgrounds and co-curricular
activities of the schools.
 Republic of the Philippines
Saint Theresa College of Tandag, Inc.
Graduate School
Tandag City, Surigao del Sur

2. What is School Building?

o It refers to any structure suitable for use as a classroom, including a school

facility such as a laboratory, library, school eating facility, or facility used for
the preparation of food. Basically, this is the typical academic classroom.
o The quality of school buildings can help or hinder learning and teaching, a
new study claims. Well-designed buildings and pleasant surroundings can
lead to better attendance and concentration as well as motivation and self-
esteem - factors which can improve performance, the research found.

3. What are school furniture and equipment?

o A classroom is a part of an educational institution, which helps students of all

ages learn about different aspects of the world. The classroom requires
materials that are adequate for an educational institute. Classroom furniture
generally consists of desks, chairs, white or green boards, teacher’s table and
chair, cupboards, a computer stand, trolley, or table.
o The school furniture that is required should be sturdy and user-friendly.
School furniture should always be of high quality because the stronger the
material of school furniture the longer it lasts. The most important items are
bookshelves, cupboards, lockers, desks, chairs, display boards, filing cabinets,
and storing cabinets. The shelves are generally made of pinewood and oak
wood because the wood produced by these are strong in nature and last
longer. The desks are made from wood or MDF whereas the legs of these
desks are made of either wood or steel. Using steel as the base for desks and
chairs prevents the desks and chairs from heavy damage and helps in usage
of the product for a longer period of time. A school also requires soft boards,
where everyday notices and announcements are put up. The frames of these
soft boards are made from wood or plastics. Lockers are generally made of
steel, which enables longer durability.
o School equipment means tangible property used by institutions of higher or
basic education in support of instruction. These include laboratory
equipment and the like.

4. Importance of Educational Facilities

o These refer to all the physical properties of a school, consisting of the

grounds, buildings, and the various facilities within the school grounds and
inside the school buildings.
 Republic of the Philippines
Saint Theresa College of Tandag, Inc.
Graduate School
Tandag City, Surigao del Sur

o Educational facilities are considered indispensable to a school; they do not

only provide housing for the school but also serve as facilitating agents for all
the educational activities that take place in school.
o The availability of safe, secured, and satisfactory educational facilities (i.e.
site, building, furniture, and equipment is one of the prerequisites for the
opening of a new school. Conversely, one of the grounds for the closure of a
school is substandard facilities (i.e. lack of safe, sanitary, and adequate
buildings and sites).
o The availability of safe, secured, adequate, and satisfactory educational
facilities will support the teaching and learning processes and ultimately
improve the quality of basic education.

5. Basic Principles on Educational Facilities

1. The primary function of educational facilities is to provide a proper school

environment that is most conducive to effective teaching and learning.
2. Functional and effective educational facilities are developed, operated, and
managed on the basis of a comprehensive plan of action of the school,
prepared by all stakeholders in education in the community.
3. It shall include sound educational facility planning and design process
principles to:
o Maximize collaboration in school planning design
o Build a proactive facility management program
o Plan schools as neighborhood-scaled community learning
centers considering the following steps:
 Locate the school in a well-defined
neighborhood as this will provide opportunities
for children and parents to walk to the school
and provide an identity for that community;
 Provide a variety of services at flexible
schedules and make the same accessible to
end-users of different backgrounds, especially
during calamities/disasters wherein the school
buildings are being used as evacuation centers
and temporary shelters to affected community
members;
 Create an environment that draws the
community to the school and that increases
interaction in compliance with the principles of
 Republic of the Philippines
Saint Theresa College of Tandag, Inc.
Graduate School
Tandag City, Surigao del Sur

the Schools First Initiative (SFI) and the School-

Based Management (SBM);
 The school shall provide facilities accessible to
the entire community, creating an increased
involvement and awareness of the educational
process; and
 School facilities that act as true community
centers to serve the broader social goals of
providing the setting for meaningful civic
participation and engagement at the local level.
o A variety of social and economic factors have created an
environment that educators can tap as a learning resource be
these in urban, suburban, or rural settings. This will establish
partnerships with museums, zoos, other public institutions as
well as local business or industrial workplace settings in
compliance with Republic Act No. 8525 otherwise known as
the “Adopt-A-School Program “, involving external
stakeholders in education.