VietNamNet Bridge – Many of the nation’s classrooms don’t meet lighting standards, claims the deputy chairman of the Viet Nam Urban Lighting Association, Nguyen Doan Thang.

A school in the Central Highland province of Gia Lai with suitable lighting. A recent survey found that 4,000 classrooms across the nation have sub-standard lighting systems.

Failures include insufficient numbers of bulbs, the wrong types of fixtures, bulbs installed too close to the ceiling, a lack of shades or covers on fixtures, or unsuitable positioning of light fixtures, leaving some areas in darkness or some students dazzled by poorly installed fixtures, Thang said.

The long-term danger, he warned, would be a damage to the eyesight of students and a reduced ability to learn. Ha Noi eye doctor Dang Anh Ngoc confirmed that weak and unsuitable lighting in schools were among the causes for an increase in eye-related diseases in students.

Dr Dang Anh Ngoc from the Institute for Labour Medicine and Environmental Hygiene at the Ministry of Health said inadequate attention had been paid to lighting systems during the construction of many primary and junior secondary schools, many of which were built using provincial budget funds but not to code.

Tran Thanh Y from the Ministry of Construction’s Institute of Architecture, Urban and Rural Planning said there was little excuse as the cost of lighting systems accounted for only a small proportion of total construction costs.

The standard budget for a schoolroom was nearly VND30 million (US$1,700), with the lighting system expected to account for VND1.5-3 million ($90-170).

But the survey found many rooms installed with 6-8 bulbs worth about VND120,000.

In Ha Noi, 18,700 rooms in State-owned schools were found not to meet lighting standards and would require prompt renovation, warned Le Ngoc Quang, deputy director of the city Department of Education and Training.

Poor standards

Hoang Ngoc Hoa, deputy director of the Ministry of Education and Training’s Institute for Research and Design of Schools, said lighting standards for schools lacked sufficient detail on light quality, illumination index and dazzle, and standards appropriate at different education levels.

A ministry expert on lighting for schools, Tran Dinh Bac, said that, to meet the national lighting standards, schools needed to select high-quality, power-saving and environmentally approved equipment and should rely on prestigious installers such as the Viet Nam Urban Lighting Association or the Rang Dong Light Source and Vacuum Flask Joint Stock Company.

The latter firm has a school lighting programme that has successfully installed fluorescent bulbs with shade systems for 156 rooms in 76 schools.

(Source: Viet Nam News)