Formal letter on cleanliness of school and toilets
Answers
THE Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan was spot on when he said that public toilets in the country are dirty, disgusting and mostly unsafe, “Clean drive flushed away” (Sunday Star, Nov 23).
While I applaud the Government’s efforts and whole-heartedly agree that public toilets should be given the due attention it deserves, I would like the authorities to pay equal attention to the state of affairs of our toilets in schools.
Go to any school in the country and chances are good that the toilets are not only dirty, smelly and unkempt but poorly maintained in terms of blocked urinals and non-operating flush systems.
Why has this state of affairs gone unnoticed? I will tell you why. It is the norm that there are separate toilets for the teachers and students.
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The school principals have too many things on their table to bother much about the toilets.
The janitor, more often than not, does not do a good job as no one seems to monitor or supervise his work. If the average janitor’s standard of hygiene and cleanliness is low, he cannot be expected to maintain a “clean” toilet that meets the expectations of the average Malaysian.
It does not need a rocket scientist to tell us that the stubborn stains on toilet bowls and urinals did not happen overnight.
Neglect over a period of time and not doing a proper job on a daily basis by the cleaners are contributory factors. The most important factor is poor attitude and lack of good toilet etiquette among the students and the school authorities.
I know of many students who try their best not to use the school toilet unless it is absolutely necessary which may have negative long-term consequences to their health. What is the way forward?
Everyone in the school, including the principal, teachers and administrative staff should share a common toilet.
In this way, the school management will be fully aware of the state of cleanliness of the toilets at all times and can take quick remedial action when necessary.
One of the school principal’s Key Performance Indicators should be the cleanliness of the toilet which should be taken into account in the yearly evaluation to be used as one of the basis for increment and promotion.
This is an effective way for the principal to have a ‘hands-on’ approach in the cleanliness of the toilet.
It would be wonderful if the Education Ministry could include “good toilet etiquette” in the school curriculum.
Going back to basics, the school authorities should ensure that toilets have three essential items; namely toilet paper (to be also used to cover dirty toilet seats), liquid soap and hooks to hang one’s clothing.
For the younger generation, schools are the perfect place to heighten awareness and education on good toilet etiquette as well as observing some basic rules when using the loo.
Malaysians do deserve clean public toilets. While the Government can do much in terms of maintenance, every Malaysian must also play their part by showing some sense of ownership when using this facility and respecting the next user.