Hygiene in schools

[brd]

How can we enforce in private schools the maintenance of hygiene to start with in kids boys and girls toilets where there are no soaps and the smell is appalling ?

Thai Ministry of Education department of Hygiene does inspections mostly upon their warnings in advance resulting in schools cleaning only upon these visits once or may be twice a year.

We have two kids 9 and 6 years old going to a private Christian ( only a veil or marketing screen for collecting fees being responsible parents indeed we monitor closely their education with teachers directly  ) school attended by 90 % Buddhists with over 2 000 pupils.

Are not the teachers themselves concerned with prevention of disease like mouth and foot etc...?

Is that still under the Thai general culture the left hand cleaning bums and water only no soaps when cleaning their hands ?

No parents association in facts only a ghost idea is circulating around when asked.

No one seems to bother is that the sabai sabai, no sanitizer we find often in Malls and as well wearing correctly the uniform is absolutely not respected......

Head Management declines to answer 2 of our letters delivered by hand written in English.

Responsible teacher for purchase has only made sure some 6 used half lemons were left in kindergarten boys side absolutely useless not ever answering on her LINE account showing only as read.

Offering ( liquid not bars because apparently kids steal them...really ? not rather the adults could borrow those ) soaps is an option parents involve do refuse to pay for the expenses and ourselves we will be treat it a major part of the teachers yearly gifts.

Teachers do collect weekly a minimum of thb 10 per kids for what ? 

We are pressing this issue strongly and we will be surprised if the Ministry of Education Hygiene Department reps will not change from pre warning to instant necessary searches and fine them for breaches of rules.

Any one can bringing some assistance, advice, informations to sort out this hygiene issue will be appreciated with our thanks.

 

 

[sensei]

Excellent post and a truly valid complaint here. Sad to say, you are fighting an uphill battle against what's been set as a very low standard when it comes to personal hygiene here.

The large number of students going to a few toilets create a problem. The number of utility personnel who takes care of these places are probably busy doing other assigned tasks.

It is appalling to see that if this is what happens in a private school, it could be tenfolds worse in government schools that has a higher population. This school is teaching kids that this is the norm and that they should not expect anything better. These kids would grow up and work in restaurants and other places that process food...

Try this...

If you teach health classes or whatever subject, take the kids to clean a toilet nearest their room. You might need to buy a couple of brushes, soap, and everything else that they might need. Roll up your sleeves and join them too.

This will teach the kids not to mess the toilet up and it would get some official's head turning to finally see what is going on...

Just my two cents.

Good luck

 

[brd]

thank you Sensei for your appreciated support.

You are right to make them clean their own toilets at school and that should be compulsory at least once a year.

This is only one side of what I hate to hear Thai culture an excuse Thai have to avoid changes at all costs.

Kids and pets the first 2 years are very similar only in Thailand kids remain pets all their life for never having been educated with a no because education is to enforce kids to do what they do not like to do.

It shows in their adults life.....

Free for all free spirits can not start as kids......and here never mind up to you and sabai sabai in priority it does.

Etc...etc....

[onlycw]

I hear you, brd! 

 

At a private Prathom school, the shut off the water to save $$$s. I walked around, using a small bucket to flush the urinals whenever I visited that horrible place. 

 

Broken toilets and other abysmal bathrooms here / new high end big screen TVs there (to blast Thai programs for hours into the English Dept.'s room). 

 

PCs being equipped with only 256 MB RAM. Surprise! They wouldn't run. And the school's IT guy removed the new Crucial RAM bought for hundreds of Dollars from my notebooks. Yeah, are you surprised?

[slappy]

I think it all boils down to the attitude of the director. We have a female director in a government school, students 950, 

All schools buildings have a designate teacher to look after and not just a janitor.

And for example M4 students will look after their toilets both male and female in their building and are provided with all cleaning liquids and utensils. This goes for all M1 to M6. It started off with the all toilets being cleaned daily, but now students take care when they go to the toilet. Today toilets are given a thorough clean twice a week.

So personally it boils down to the director attitude.

[Wim1954]

On 6-8-2017 at 8:56 PM, sensei said:

Excellent post and a truly valid complaint here. Sad to say, you are fighting an uphill battle against what's been set as a very low standard when it comes to personal hygiene here.

The large number of students going to a few toilets create a problem. The number of utility personnel who takes care of these places are probably busy doing other assigned tasks.

It is appalling to see that if this is what happens in a private school, it could be tenfolds worse in government schools that has a higher population. This school is teaching kids that this is the norm and that they should not expect anything better. These kids would grow up and work in restaurants and other places that process food...

Try this...

If you teach health classes or whatever subject, take the kids to clean a toilet nearest their room. You might need to buy a couple of brushes, soap, and everything else that they might need. Roll up your sleeves and join them too.

This will teach the kids not to mess the toilet up and it would get some official's head turning to finally see what is going on...

Just my two cents.

Good luck

 

No money for maintenance.

[zyphodb]

As Slappy says, totally down to the Director, unfortunately in most schools much of the budget goes to line seniors pockets & a lot of the rest for teacher jolly's, until this changes nothing else will. TIT

[tonray]

I taught at a school once where there were missing ceiling tiles in the teacher's bathroom and pools of stagnant water on the roof, making a mosquito breeding ground only a scientist could love. Every morning, the teacher's toilet would be swarming with mozzies and the funniest thing was at some point a guy from the MOE comes in one day and sets up all these 'Fight Dengue Fever" posters all over the school, including one right on the toilet door.

 

They really don't care...it's a mess in every school toilet I have ever seen

[ozmeldo]

Taught at a very famous boys school. Toilets a bit grotty but the teachers toilet fine. Boys M1-3 still not sorted themselves out. Sweaty, stinky boys. AC.

 

Next school, well known school with reputation in BKK, mixed gender. Similar story but the kids cleaner. 4 classes no AC.

 

Next, another well known school, private. Toilets passable but never any soap in Ss toilet and caustic cleaning supplies always left on sink. Why complain, no one cares. Teacher's toilet passable. I became very ill with cold and flu due to grubby room and AC not maintained. Lack of fresh air and close quarters. Glad to be so gone. AC

 

Now school. Ss toilets are cleaned by professional service. Teacher's toilet is tits and the kids clean and sharp. AC

 

Never had water issues. The things some of you will put up with!

 

It's the aircon too! Not maintained.

Edited August 9, 2017 by ozmeldo

[brd]

reading various comments there is a problem from the Thai people of attitude no one bothers enough and have no ideas of prevention.....

We entrust our kids to educators themselves who are ignorant of basic hygiene standards issues regardless of money.

Cleaning with dirty mops and only splashing water is insane.

Washing hands without soaps is a call for diseases.

The Department of Hygiene at Thai Ministry of Education warn them ahead of their visits...of course only times serious cleaning occur.

I am lobbying every one at a large private Christian attended 90 % by Buddhists all mostly Thai 98 % School ( 4,200 pupils ) in Bangkok where two of our boys are attending and it will work because it has to work...after suppression of working, studying on floors, rewards with candies like if they were pets, stop fighting kicking instead of playing and clean uniform now Hygiene is on the top of the agenda.

Thank you for your comments.

[mogandave]

Why not change schools?


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[brd]

Mogandave you are thinking like my smart Thai wife at the first hiccup she was ready to jump ship....Unfortunately we have to face the small issues to benefit from a Christian education not available near by to start with.

After several issues I won over three years we are still keeping our kids there indeed working on plan B and not giving up on the hygiene as I am persistent and dragging in many teachers.

Thank you very much.

[mogandave]

Mogandave you are thinking like my smart Thai wife at the first hiccup she was ready to jump ship....Unfortunately we have to face the small issues to benefit from a Christian education not available near by to start with.
After several issues I won over three years we are still keeping our kids there indeed working on plan B and not giving up on the hygiene as I am persistent and dragging in many teachers.
Thank you very much.

You make derogatory comments about your wife and the staff at the school yet you married her and keep the kids in the POC school.

Maybe your idiot wife thinks the school is crap.

My kid goes to a Catholic and the staff and bathrooms are fine.

[Ace of Pop]

You make derogatory comments about your wife and the staff at the school yet you married her and keep the kids in the POC school.

Maybe your idiot wife thinks the school is crap.

My kid goes to a Catholic and the staff and bathrooms are fine.

Mine went to Assumption Ubon Rat and Chonburi ,perhaps yours do. Most Hygienic.?


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[taiwanatoa]

It is hopeless Not just in schools. Everywhere! Even in the best shopping malls where they have sensor dispensing soap it is extremely rare to see any Thai or other Asians ever wash their hands. They wet their hands and then grab at least 3 paper towels. It is disgusting.


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[jenny2017]

On 8/12/2017 at 2:31 AM, brd said:

Mogandave you are thinking like my smart Thai wife at the first hiccup she was ready to jump ship....Unfortunately we have to face the small issues to benefit from a Christian education not available near by to start with.

After several issues I won over three years we are still keeping our kids there indeed working on plan B and not giving up on the hygiene as I am persistent and dragging in many teachers.

Thank you very much.

 

One poster gave you a great answer, but you didn't like the truth.

 

Why not changing schools?

 

It's sad to see that you liked a post where another poster called your wife an idiot, after you described her as one. 

 

 No idea how long you've been here, but a school that size is facing many other problems, and soap, or better the non existing one, seems to be one of the smaller problems for the administrators.

 

See the tuition fees as money for a cake and too many people want a piece of it. 

 

Calling Thais 'pets', doesn't make you look better.You might start to realise that you're in a still developing country and schools here are not really well known for their great education. 

 

Give your kids some soap in a smaller container which they can take to school, and tell them how and why they have to do that. Fighting against the system will only end up in tears. You've already done a lot that people will hate you for.

 

  You can write letters to the Pope, but please don't be surprised if nobody answers them. 

 

 

 You're persistent and dragging in many teachers? Best of luck !!

Edited December 9, 2017 by jenny2017

[mogandave]

Yes, every time a child uses the restroom they should wash their hands rigorously using an anti-bacterial soap and hot water, after which they should dry them thoroughly with a clean cotton towel. This is what children in the West are taught.


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[geriatrickid]

What is so difficult in providing the child with a small bar of soap in a container or even a small bottle of liquid hand soap? There are small plastic bottles of hand sanitizer.  These little bottles can be refilled at home.

Why expect the school to  solve the problem? 

 

[Rhys]

Some school do come through.. not many however...

[onlycw]

ACL, in Lampang? They cut off the water! No flushing ... I used to use a bucket and flush the urinals every time I had to visit that disgusting bathroom. Big fees though.

[Scott]

The schools where I was associated had extremely clean bathrooms.  They were carefully watched by the cleaning staff.   The one exception, was one school that used to run out of water and would lock all the restrooms. 

[mogandave]

Why I find refreshing is the complete lack of vandalism.


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[Scott]

3 hours ago, mogandave said:

Why I find refreshing is the complete lack of vandalism.


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Were it not for what you call vandalism, I would hardly know any poetry at all!