Survey to explore the experiences of using carbon dioxide monitors to improve ventilation in education settings in Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background / Context

As pupils and teachers returned to the classroom following lockdown, good air quality in classrooms became a priority. Monitoring the levels of carbon dioxide provides a good indicator of how much ‘stale’ air is trapped in a classroom. A high level of carbon dioxide lets us know that the ventilation needs to be improved. Improving ventilation by letting in fresh air can help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

32,000 carbon dioxide monitors (funded by the Welsh Government and distributed by Local Authorities and other key organisations) were sent to schools, colleges and universities in Wales to monitor the ventilation in classrooms. The aim of this study was to understand how useful these carbon dioxide monitors had been.

Study Plan

A survey was sent to all primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities across Wales to ask about their experiences using the monitors. The survey asked about the number of classrooms with low, moderate, or high readings, any actions taken to improve the ventilation, and the overall usefulness of the monitors.

Findings

In total, 265 completed surveys were returned. 56.6% of the classrooms monitored had low carbon dioxide readings and 5.6% of classrooms had high readings.

Most of the survey respondents said the monitors were useful, especially for raising awareness of ventilation issues. They also provided confidence that the classrooms were well ventilated.  The most common action the classroom staff took to improve the ventilation was opening doors and windows. Some found the monitors challenging to use as they alerted you to a problem but there were sometimes limited actions they could take to improve the ventilation.

Implications

Many schools and colleges had good experiences using the carbon dioxide monitors. Schools or colleges having problems with classroom ventilation need further support from property teams on what they can do to improve the ventilation.

The results from this study will inform future changes to guidance on ventilation in schools, colleges and universities.

Read the full report.

Summary author: Erin Wynands and Elizabeth Doe