I am under no illusion that School X is the only school with these problems and indeed after speaking with my own children have discovered that their school toilets are just as bad. In searching for a resolution I have contacted a number of people, including my MP, a Childrens Safeguarding Officer, a local councillor and Nickie Brander from ERIC (Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence) relevant extracts from these emails are quoted below:
(To Nickie Brander)
‘(....)I received reply from my MP. His reply was basically that he wrote to Assistant Director for Children Services and has now had a reply. But MP has offered his contact details to anyone else who can help with this matter. Do you think he's opening the door because he too is not satisfied with this reply?
(....)I also discovered that the girls in the upper has only one sanitary bin to each toilet block, with a one sign on the cubicle door saying, this toilet has the Hygiene bin! I never noticed before due to the contractors clean the upper. I feel all the girls cubicles should have one in each, I have bought this to their attention and the reply was, yes we are trying to sort it out. It’s been like it for a long, long time.’
(Emails between Nickie Brander and myself regarding meeting with my MP)
‘I have some of my own questions, i.e. same regulations for children to mirror adults; this will enhance children’s welfare and give a better healthy environment in school. School toilets, drinking water should be included in any Ofsted inspection and standards should be kept at all times. Money allocated for such improvements to toilets, clean useable drinking water dispensers should only be spent on those faculties and not on any other part of the school. The word adequate should never be used for school toilets and drinking water in schools.
This was your email below:
Ask him to submit some Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQ) on what requirements schools have to properly clean and maintain their toilets in working order and to clarify requirements for CRB for contract cleaners that may come into contact with children (such as during the extended school day or who clean during school hours). And, what measures are taken to ensure schools are aware of their obligations. And what means there are to enforce obligations.’
‘Health and safety legislation is a grey area because the HSE say these only apply to the adults in a school’
(Email to my MP)
‘(....) I have given my folder to (Councillor) to read. If you contact (Councillor) you can discuss the concerns I have raised and hopefully, through communication between you both changes can be made within our schools and standards can be raised. Another useful resource is Nickie Brander Campaigns Organiser ERIC (Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence) you may find it helpful to speak to her.
I truly believe that Education should be a complete package and when communities talk about no respect knowing the difference between right and wrong and lack of discipline in schools today I ask myself this question. How can we make our children feel valued members of society if we allow poor standards with poor provision for children’s basic needs? Whether it is no locks on toilet cubicles, poor hygiene with little privacy and in some cases none. Education should not just be about English, Maths and Science and so forth it should also be a platform to show good examples of respect towards each other where excellent hygiene standards are provided and practised that are governed within the health & safety laws.’
(Email to Child Protection Officer)
‘I have witnessed five Ofsted inspections while working in education. I have observed what a waste of tax payer’s money it is. Inspections cost thousands of pounds in schools and colleges with the inspectors viewing a site at its best. In one educational site I witnessed an air fresher and a vase with sweet smelling flowers appear in the gent’s staff toilets for the entire 4 day Ofsted visit! This in itself represents a skewed picture of the true environment on a daily basis. Due to schools and colleges making such costly efforts I did believe buildings, toilets and kitchens etc were part of the inspection. I have been informed that Ofsted do not make any recommendations with regard to improving amenities or say that they are satisfactory. I feel that badly maintained unhygienic toilets may cause health problems and anxiety for children in our schools which in turn must influence their learning experience.’
This is a summary of my discussion points with my MP and the Parliamentary Questions that I requested to be raised by my MP but that were not acted on:
Should schools be responsible for ensuring adequate facilities that are inspected and maintained in light of swine flu? Everyone in the workplace can play their part by practicing good hygiene. This includes:
Washing hands frequently with soap and water, to reduce the spread of virus from your hands to your face or to other people (Health protection agency 2009, DOH Pandemic FluA national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic 2009).
Inadequate maintainence of toilet facilities cause of constipation in more and more childrens resulting in time off school and failing to promote the 5 key elements of every child matters (2003) be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, achieve economic well-being. Not part of Ofsted inspection yet environmental issues impact on the delivery of successful education.
Are schools governed by Health and Safety regulations and perform security checks as is any other public sector and are these adequately enforced?
Lord Laming’s report, The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report (2009) acknowledges that Government reforms introduced through Every Child Matters provided a firm foundation, but there now needs to be a renewed commitment to child protection at every level of government and across all local services.
The Government will revise the Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance to reflect Lord Laming’s recommendations to strengthen policy and practice, including in relation to Serious Case Reviews. This will make explicitly clear what all practitioners and agencies need to do to keep children safe.’
I have presented just a snippet of the correspondence that I have been involved in with various different people but without much success. I would urge you to look on www.eric.org.uk and www.bog-standard.org where information on the official campaign to improve toilet facilities for children can be found, it also has information on just what a serious effect poor toilet facilities can have on our children.
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