Central New York Public Elementary Schools

Public elementary schools in NY have general-purpose classrooms attended by students of different ages (years), common areas (hallways, library, dining room, etc.), and outdoor and indoor playgrounds. Classrooms in all schools are similar in quality and furniture equipment: they are equipped with adjustable school desks of different shapes (trapezoidal, rectangular, round, hexagonal, semicircular, etc.) melamine-coated particleboards that can be written and erased with a felt-tip pen. The height of the worktop of the tables is regulated by adjusting the height of the metal legs. The chairs are mostly non-adjustable in height and in two metal-leg structures: in the form of a "bended ski" or "four legs" to which the seats and backrests are attached. Some types of chairs have wooden seats and backs (plywood), while most have plastic backs and seats connected in a single module that is neither comfortable nor durable. All observed schools have similarity in quality and typology of furniture, but there is also a more creative design of furniture, with a more playful, rounded and freer typology of tables and chairs, with additional furniture such as armchairs, padded mats, rugs and movable shelves than in Croatian ones.

Photos by: Danijela Domljan & Michael Christopher Kowalsky