This master's thesis examines the suitability of school buildings and gardens for children's rights to life, development, education, and play, in line with the opinions of teachers working in public primary schools in Ankara. Although educational programs are constantly updated, the failure of educational facilities to keep up with these changes emerges as one of the main problems of schools. It is of great importance that school buildings and gardens have the quality to meet the physical and psychological needs of children. This research aims to reveal the existing deficiencies in detail in the light of teacher opinions.

The sample of the research consists of 362 teachers working in public primary schools in Ankara during the 2013-2014 academic year. Data were collected using the "Scale for Determining Primary School Teachers' Opinions on the Suitability of School Buildings and Gardens for Children's Rights" developed by the researcher. The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS 18.00 software.

According to the findings obtained in the study, teachers state that there are serious deficiencies in the equipment of school buildings and gardens. In particular, it was determined that the width and size of the art room, music room, museum, ceremony and conference hall, resting areas, and first aid room are insufficient. Schools also fall short in meeting cleaning, hygiene, and safety standards. It was observed that the floor coverings, corridors, and stairs of school buildings are not suitable in terms of health, usability, and safety. School gardens, on the other hand, lack the facilities to assist education and training; it is stated that they are oriented only towards limited needs such as play and rest, and the area per student remains insufficient. The findings also indicate that school buildings are inadequate in terms of suitability for the child's right to physical and psychological development. There are major deficiencies, especially in the spaciousness, color, and natural light of the classroom environments. Interestingly, senior teachers in the 50-59 age range evaluate school buildings and gardens as more suitable in terms of child safety and health compared to young teachers in the 20-29 age range.

In line with these results, it is recommended to abandon the construction of school buildings devoid of aesthetics and to prefer horizontal architecture. It is emphasized that educational structures such as special classrooms, laboratories, multi-purpose halls, and museums should be included in schools. It is stated that school gardens should be arranged with grass areas instead of concrete and asphalt, areas for growing plants and trees should be created, and perimeter walls should be built with wire mesh and hedge plants instead of hard concrete. These arrangements will contribute to creating a much healthier school environment by supporting the physical and psychological development of children.

We thank Özlem Özaktan for this valuable study. The full thesis can be accessed via www.tez.yok.gov.tr using the code 381803.