012 Pantone 11-0907 TPX
For the uninitiated, Pantone 11-0907 TPX is what the education department prescribes for all interior walls of new K-12 school buildings in the country. In lay terms, it’s referred to as Pearled Ivory. I see it as another shade of boring beige.
I suppose there’s nothing inherently wrong with beige. I’m just wondering what motivated this decision to favor 11-0907 TPX.
My guess is that this was the safe and practical choice. Since we’ve been using beige in schools for decades, people must have assumed that it must be the right choice. Or maybe the appeal may have to do with the belief that it’s easier to clean (It is, after all, the color of dirt).
I’d want to think that this was a decision based on what color is most conducive for learning. This, however, seems unlikely.
For if they follow the scientific conventions of color theory, they’d advocate for the use of bolder primary colors for grade school classrooms and more subtle hues of warm or cool colors for high school; libraries would be a shade of green; and canteens would have touches of orange.
They’re all beige (Although there are exceptions, particularly in cases where a different dominant color already exists or local cultural element requires a different color…Hopefully, they do exist, perhaps in Muslim Mindanao).
There had been so many studies on this topic over the years and a great number of them tells us, well… not to use beige.
One particular study worth noting, by Harry Wohlfarth, showed the impact of classroom color on learning. It showed that students in neutral colored rooms (a.k.a. beige) performed the worst, while students in more psychodynamic colored rooms performed better.
There were less cases of aggression, as well as disruptive and destructive behaviors. And when paired with full-spectrum lighting (a.k.a. natural light from the sun), students showed the largest percentage of improvement in both IQ and academic performance (students were less stressed too, as seen in blood pressure testing).
The more vibrant colors help stimulate the mind. As such, students would benefit from having them in the classroom, since these colors can help improve motivation and concentration, which leads to better learning.
Of course, you don’t want to overstimulate the child with too much color. This leads us to the next problem that’s common in our classrooms—clutter. Beige or otherwise, it won’t do the students any good if the walls of their classroom prevent them from focusing. This means being more circumspect with what is posted on the walls. Otherwise, it’ll be hard for students to concentrate—and learn.
There are other equally important elements of the classroom as a study space that’s worth mentioning (perhaps in a future discussion). For now, let’s begin with taking a fresh new look at the color of the classroom.
Obviously, if you ask me, rather than using a hackneyed shade of beige as the base color, I’d say use a more interesting color as an accent, then go for Pantone 11-0601 TCX instead (I won’t tell you—look it up!).
Oh, don’t forget to get rid of the clutter. Please.