Why it's Important

Read about the problems some children (including those with special needs) are facing, the results of these problems and the human rights that children have. You can also see the results of the survey we did on school toilets.

Problems

Many adults don’t realise how bad some school toilets are. Problems experienced by pupils include:

• Dirty, smelly toilets
• Broken seats, doors and toilet roll holders
• No or not enough toilet paper, soap or hand drying facilities
• Lack of privacy – doors that don’t lock, cubicles that can be peered over or under easily, urinals that can be viewed from outside the toilet area
• Bullies and/or smokers hanging out in the toilets
• Restricted access to toilets – only being allowed to go at break or not enough time allowed to go
• Toilets inconveniently located and/or not accessible to pupils, including those with special needs

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Pupils with special needs

Having special needs doesn’t just mean needing wheelchair access. Some pupils suffer from medical conditions which mean they need more privacy and time for the toilet. For example, 10% of children have problems with continence, and it is crucial for these pupils to be able to go to the toilet when they need to.

Results

The impact on health

Horrible toilets mean pupils drink less during the day in order to avoid going to the loo. The resulting dehydration can cause constipation, headaches, fatigue and lack of concentration.

Not drinking enough during the day can also reduce bladder capacity. If children drink most of their daily fluid when they get home, their bladders may not be able to cope and this increases the risk of bedwetting.

Not wanting to go to the toilet during the day means pupils try to ‘hang on’ until they get home. Some schools restrict access to the toilet during the day, which means they can’t go when they need to. This may lead to bad bowel and bladder habits. It also means pupils avoid or restrict drinking because they fear getting caught short during lessons.

The impact on learning

Not allowing a child out of class to go to the toilet when they need to is counter-productive: a child's attention will be focused on the discomfort of their full bladder or bowel and not on the lesson. They may also be under stress which will further reduce their ability to concentrate.

"Unless the basic physiological needs of the body are met, the brain cannot function on higher tasks such as learning."
Abraham Maslow, Behavioural Psychologist: in Ewen, RB (1998). An introduction to theories of personality (5th ed.). Mahwah, NJ; publishers: Lawrence Erlbaum.

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The wider impact

Substandard toilets and restrictions on toilet visits also affect pupils’ willingness to learn, their behaviour, morale and attendance levels. They may also be linked to the development of phobias and deviant behaviour.

Respect and consideration

The lack of priority given to toilets, essential basic amenities we all need, is seen by many children as an indication of the lack of priority – and consideration and respect – given to them by society at large. It is hardly surprising that old and run-down toilets, and the restrictions imposed on pupils over toilet visits, sometimes lead to bad behaviour and vandalism. “Teachers, governors and other adults often speak of lack of respect some children and young people show for their environment. I question what level of respect is being conveyed to children and young people when they are expected to carry our private and intimate functions in the appalling environment many of them told us about.”
Extract from the forward to ‘Lifting the lid on the nation’s school toilets’, by the late Peter Clarke, Children’s Commissioner for Wales

Human rights

Employees have the right, in law, to a clean, private toilet with hot and cold running water, and soap. Children have no such law to protect them.

However, under article 5 of the Human Rights Declaration:

”No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

The following articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child have particular relevance to the issues relating to pupils' toilets.

"State parties shall ensure that the institutions, services and facilities responsible for the care or protection of children shall conform to the standards established by the competent authorities."
Article 3

"Children have the right to express their opinions freely and to have their opinions taken into account in any matter or procedure facing them."
Article 12

"Children have the right to good quality health care and clean water, nutritious food and a clean environment so that they stay healthy."
Article 24

Bog Standard believes that not allowing children unrestricted access to a private, well-maintained toilet is an infringement of these rights.

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Look at the results of a survey into school toilets
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