The desks and chairs in China generally developed the same as that of western countries. In terms of material and history, they all have developed from the miscellaneous wood (the first generation) to the steel and wood (the second generation) and then to the hard plastic. In terms of design form, they have developed from the single form to the lift one and then to the combined one, with more ergonomic design. In addition, desks and chairs are also improving with the height and weight of teenagers. The standards for desks and chairs have been revised both at home and abroad, but the main difference in the standards lies in the arrangement. Desks and chairs in China are generally arranged in a uniform way, while those in foreign countries are flexible and varied.
Three stages of the development of desks and chairs in China
China's education has developed for over 100 years, starting with the establishment of sizable schools. Students, however, have been using the first generation of traditional desks and chairs made of miscellaneous wood.
In the early 1980s, a few wood factories in big cities learned from foreign countries and began to make furniture with a combination of steel and wood. Then the second generation of desks and chairs made of steel and wood came into being, replacing some wooden products. Though after more than 20 years of development, the steel and wood desks and chairs produced by mechanical method can not completely replace the wooden desks and chairs for they have problems such as nail loosing, easiness to rust, and short service life. For this reason, in some rural schools in central and western China, students are still using the first-generation desks and chairs made of miscellaneous wood. Time has proved that the quality of desks and chairs made of steel and wood is not much better than that of the first generation recognized by the educational sector. The steel and wood desks and chairs have developed slowly though for more than twenty years, so they can only be used as transitional products to replace some wood products.
With the development of science and technology, some developed countries have started to use hard plastic instead of aluminum alloy as raw material for windows and doors more than 10 years ago, after three development stages of wood—iron—aluminum alloy. In recent years, scientists have designed a large number of parts made of plastic steel—having better performance than hard plastic—to replace the wood, iron, and aluminum parts on cars, trains, ships, and airplanes. It is an inevitable trend of scientific and technological progress, and also the only way for the development of China's manufacturing industry in the future, including desks and chairs, to replace wood with plastic, steel with plastic, copper with plastic, and aluminum with plastic.
In the years to come, desks and chairs are not only height-adjustable, there are even combined types—consisting of height-adjustable desks, chairs, and distance-adjustable junction plate. This will not only solve the existing problems of desks and chairs in elementary and secondary schools, but also be suitable for students of different ages and body shapes. And such adjustable desks and chairs can be tailored to each student's individual situation to achieve the standard status.
Standards for China’s desks and chairs needed to be revised
With the development and improvement of the physical fitness of teenagers, most of European and American countries need to revise their standards on students’ desks and chairs, just like China.
Here we take the European countries as the example. According to the Daily Mail, researchers recently measured the height and weight of 1,400 elementary and secondary school students in the UK and found that the average height increased by 3cm and the weight increased significantly when compared to similar data in 1971. The report said that such situation also existed in other European countries besides the UK. In response, the EU has launched a new set of standards for "Guidance on Desks and Chairs". It is reported that this is the first time since the 1970s that Europe has adjusted and regulated the requirements for school desks and chairs. According to the standards, schools are advised to purchase height-adjustable desks to provide enough space for students' legs, as well as stout chairs to support the students’ weight. The new standards further suggest schools purchasing ergonomic chairs to protect students' back health. A furniture supplier in the UK said that since the beginning of the semester, the number of principals inquiring about the purchase of oversize and reinforced desks and chairs has jumped 10 times. According to Levent Jarrar of FIRA, the new desks and chairs must be qualified after tests of model, shape, strength, and stability, indicating that in addition to being beneficial to students' physical development, they can also concentrate their attention on studying and improve their learning ability.
The Daily Mail reported that the new customized desks and chairs are not only more spacious and suitable, but also more durable, especially in stressed areas such as the back of the chair. The new standards stipulate that schools should customize desks and chairs that are conducive to students' bone development, taking into account their physical development. Levent Jarrar said that the new generation of desks and chairs are adjustable in height, so that students will have much more room to stretch their bodies. He added that he hopes the comfortable desks and chairs will allow the students to sit comfortably and thus listen attentively in class.
