British Toilet Association: Archived News from the British Toilet Association 

UK Schools Call for Minimum Standards for Toilets

Sub-standard toilets; smelly, missing locks and lack of toilet paper reported in 1 in 4 state schools, says research

A survey of 160 UK schools and 49 school and specialist nurses, including Nursing Times readers, has prompted a universal¹ call for a minimum standard for school toilet facilities.

The research, commissioned by ERIC (Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence) as part of the Bog Standard campaign, found that:

• 62% of schools still had complaints from their pupils
• Poor standards of facilities, lack of toilet paper and smelly conveniences were top of the complaints listed
• Schools stated that 36% of staff are aware that the children’s toilets are smelly;
• 13% that cubicles had missing locks and lacked sufficient supplies of soap and
• 1 in 10 admitted there was no toilet paper.

Schools are making toilet facilities a higher priority with 73% of schools having renovated their toilets in the last 5 years. 17% of schools claimed no funds to make improvements. 3 in 4 teachers feel that parents could be more active in helping to improve the toilets, with many teachers commenting that parent power to help lobby the government to release more funding for schools building maintenance would be valuable.

All schools asked agreed that there should be a minimum standard for school toilets, and 61% felt a school toilet award scheme would encourage schools to raise or maintain standards.

Jenny Perez, Director of ERIC comments; “Our research and contact with families shows that children with continence issues may experience more emotional problems and have lower self-esteem than children without continence problems. A lot of these problems could be avoided or eradicated with improved school toilet facilities, encouraging drinking water during the day and easy accessibility to the toilet. This is not only a health and wellbeing issue for those with continence issues; it affects all children and young people at school and may also affect their academic attainment and attendance levels.”

Nursing Times readers all believe that poor school toilets are a contributing factor to incontinence in children. One school nurse comments: “School toilet issues continue to cause children and parents concerns in nursery, primary and secondary school settings. Broken toilet seats, no hand soap, no toilet paper, no lighting, broken locks on doors, no sanitary bins, locked toilets, bullying away from adult supervision are all an issue”.

84% of continence experts and nurses asked felt that improving school toilets would help some or most children with toilet related health issues and help them regain continence.

Further results show that:

• 1 in 4 schools have had complaints from parents about their toilets
• 78% of teachers believe there is a link between poor toilets and children suffering from toilet related health issues
• 84% of teachers believe that learning can be effected by such problems

In excess of one in 12 five to 16 year olds in the UK experience continence problems (bedwetting, daytime wetting and soiling). Inadequate provision, accessibility and maintenance of primary and secondary school toilets have been linked to the high number of children suffering from constipation and toilet related health problems.
The Bog Standard campaign is working to raise standards of provision and access to school toilets in the UK. Schools and parents wishing to make a difference or support their child can log on to www. www.bog-standard.org or www.eric.org for supporting information and the Bog Standard Charter.

Notes:

• Research was carried out during March – June 2010 with schools via the School Councils Foundation and school nurses via Nursing Times and ERIC specialist conferences
• Sample included 160 schools and 49 nurses
• Full report in June issue of Nursing Times and on ERIC and Bog Standard Websites
• Since publication of the Nursing Times article further research has been collated resulting in updated figures in the release
• Bog Standard is the campaigning arm of the national charity ERIC (Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence).
• The Bog Standard campaign is an umbrella group of organisations (Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association, School Councils Foundation, British Toilet Association) led by ERIC and sponsored by corporate partners Armitage Shanks, Albany Healthy Schools Programme and Quebicle themed washrooms.

¹100% of sample said they would like to see minimum standards for school toilets to be set

30 June 2010