The history of school desks as we know them today, (that is, of the school desk with chair attached), really dates back only to the 1800s. Education reforms at this time inspired a flurry of patents for space-saving seat and writing surface combinations, designed to efficiently maximise student numbers in classroom spaces.
The evolution of school desks takes place over a shorter timescale than you might think. Although the term ‘desk’ dates back to the 14th century or earlier, it originally referred to simply something to write on and the earliest desks were designed to be portable units rather than standalone pieces of furniture. The concept of the modern classroom desk as we think of it today dates from the second half of the 19th century.
Prior to the 19th century, students were likely to have studied at adult desks or tables or, if in a ‘classroom’ setting, at long benches. As interest in popular education and state schools increased, new patents appeared for specific classroom furniture to fit them.
The first popular schools were literally based in one room – so the design of the first purpose-built school desks was a way to efficiently seat students. Desks were designed to be laid out in rows, with the desk surface attached to the seat in front to make the best use of space.
Before the widespread adoption of the school desk unit, most students sat on chairs or long benches at long tables, each writing with an individual slate. Text books and paper were not yet in common use. (The useful slate would continue to be seen in schools until the mid 20th century).
The transition to individual desks happened as educational reforms increased student numbers. Literally hundreds of school desk designs were patented in the UK and US at this time, the majority featuring a bench seat with desk surface attached to the back – so the student at the desk would not be disturbed by the student in front getting up from their chair.
Folding desk mechanisms were designed to be noiseless to further minimise distractions and many desks featured individual inkwells to refill pens.
The industrial revolution brought a change in educational standards as part-time education became compulsory for children working in factories. By 1880, school was mandatory for children under 10 years old in the UK. Many large employers also encouraged mass education of their workforce with learning programmes and libraries.
The late 19th century traditional schoolroom layout of rows and columns of desks with a teacher at the head, together with standardised learning, is said to have been influenced by the factories of the time and the intention to use education systems to create new generations of industrial workers.
Paper had become a cheaper, more freely available resource following the industrial revolution and school textbooks became widely used shortly afterwards. By the early 20th century school desks had evolved from including a shelf underneath the desk area for storage to the lift-lid design we think of as the quintessential old school desk, with a storage area underneath the desktop for books.
Adjustable wooden desk and chair units had been in use since the 1930s, allowing chair and desk height to be adjusted to the individual student. By the mid 20th century the worlds of work and school had changed and designs reflected the new age. Throughout the 20th century, inspired by architecture-led design by the likes of Prouvé and Jacobsen, school desks and chairs became lighter and more flexible.
By 1970 the wrap-around desk chair combination allowed individual, space-saving seating with an individual chair for each student that featured a small desktop designed around the user’s body and sometimes storage under the chair. Still in frequent use today in high schools and colleges, these desks can be freely rearranged yet tend to be placed in rows.
While progressive theories existed as early as the late 19th century, they were more likely to be found in specialised schools designed around the themes of learning through play and experimentation. As education theories evolved and classroom learning began to deviate from rote learning with rows of students repeating the lesson from a teacher, classroom design naturally followed.
The rise of ergonomics as critical to desk-based work in the mid 20th century meant that furniture designers started to think ‘human’ first when designing school furniture as well as office desk and chairs.
Although adjustable desks had existed since the early 20th century, the rise of technology meant that school and office desk designs had to change to incorporate new ways of working. New materials made it easier to amend traditional designs and increase ergonomics.
School desk design continues to adapt to diverse learning environments. So what does the future of classroom desks hold?
To support alternative learning styles consider flexible furniture like modular chairs and tables or soft furniture systems that can be rearranged for every classroom session.
The traditional classroom desk may look lovely, but these days ergonomics should dictate desk design. School furnishings need to adhere to specific design and build standards too.
A good example of the integration of technology and desk design is the decline in permanently attached storage spaces for paper and books and the rise of inbuilt cable management and charging systems.
