Comparison of public and private high schools in terms of building ergonomics: The case of Uşak province

This study was carried out to determine the noise level, lighting level, thermal comfort (temperature, humidity, air flow) values in schools and ergonomic features of the units (classroom, floor corridor, wet area, stairs) in the school building. The comparison of the selected private and public schools was made by looking at their compliance with regulations and standards. Ergonomically, the area x volume measurements of the school units were made using meters. The capacity of wet areas, classrooms and building stairs according to the number of students and whether the area per person is sufficient or not has been examined in terms of compliance with the standards and regulations of the Ministry of National Education. The study is of descriptive type, and a sample group consisting of four schools in total was formed by determining two private high schools and two public high schools within the borders of the city center of Uşak. Noise measurement device Cesva SC310, luminous intensity meter Extech SDL400, micro climate analyzer Delta ohm HD 32.3 were used for measurement. As a result of the findings obtained from the measurements, the noise level measurement results, the noise level in the classroom and outside the school during the lesson remained within the limit value range in four schools. The noise level of the class break time remained above the limit values in three high schools. It has been observed that the lighting measurement results of private and public high schools are not at appropriate values. As a result of the study, it is seen that all ergonomic features, especially the location where the school buildings will be built, should be considered completely during the design phase. Although school types, total student size, and school building comforts are different, it is seen that the most important factor that increases the quality and comfort in education is the combination of ergonomic conditions.