To make school toilets no longer a "nightmare"

Students at Nguyen An Ninh Primary School (Tam Hiep Ward) change into plastic sandals before using the restroom. Photo: An Yen

To alleviate students' concerns about this issue, many schools in Dong Nai province have invested in school restrooms, ensuring the long-term health of their students.

Bad habits

For many students, school restrooms used to be a "nightmare" because they were unclean and smelled bad. As a result, they were afraid to use the restrooms at school or avoided drinking water during class to prevent having to go.

NLC, a third-grade student at a primary school in Trang Dai ward, Dong Nai province, shared: “During recess, many students go to the restroom. Many don't flush after using it, and the smell is terrible. Every time I go to the restroom, I have to cover my nose and hurry out. Some days I don't dare go to the restroom and wait until I get home.”

The results of school health monitoring conducted by the Dong Nai Provincial Center for Disease Control in coordination with the education sector at several schools in the province at the end of May 2025 showed that more than 40% of students in these schools suffered from eye diseases. This was followed by dental and oral diseases, and ear, nose, and throat problems. Notably, the rate of overweight and obese students was much higher than the rate of malnourished students.

Regarding this issue, Dr. Ha Minh Chi, from the Urology Department (Thong Nhat General Hospital), stated: Repeatedly holding back urine, over the long term, will negatively impact a child's health.

According to Doctor Chi, the most serious harm of holding in urine is infection, urethritis, and cystitis. Prolonged urine retention causes urine to stagnate in the bladder, creating a breeding ground for bacteria and leading to urinary tract infections. When children frequently hold in urine, the bladder has to retain urine for extended periods, easily causing a decrease in bladder contractility, disrupting the urination reflex, and leading to urinary incontinence.

Furthermore, if the bladder is too full from holding in urine, urine can flow back up to the kidneys, causing pyelonephritis, and over time, potentially leading to chronic kidney disease. Prolonged urine retention can easily lead to the deposition of mineral salts, forming stones. Therefore, urinating when needed is crucial for ensuring children's health both now and in the future.

The restroom has music and is clean.

Recognizing the importance of school restrooms, many schools have recently focused on investing in and renovating them to create clean, green, and aesthetically pleasing restrooms.

Tran Thi Huyen, the principal of Binh Da Primary School (Tam Hiep Ward, Dong Nai Province), shared: "The school currently has 30 restrooms for boys and girls, all equipped with high toilets. The restrooms are always kept clean and have sufficient clean water, toilet paper, soap, and handwashing sinks. In addition, the school decorates the restrooms with slogans and greenery in front of and inside, plays music, and uses essential oils to ensure they are always clean and odor-free."

At Tran Hung Dao Secondary School (Tran Bien Ward, Dong Nai Province), to help students overcome their fear of the restrooms, the school has planted and placed greenery both outside and inside the restrooms. The restroom areas also feature soft music and the aroma of essential oils.

Similarly, at Nguyen An Ninh Primary School (Tam Hiep Ward, Dong Nai Province), each row of classrooms has separate restrooms for boys and girls. In front of the restrooms, the school provides plastic slippers for students to change into before entering to prevent slipping and to avoid getting their shoes wet. When students turn on the lights in the restrooms, soft music plays and essential oil fragrances gradually fill the air.

According to Hoang Thi Ngoc, the principal of Nguyen An Ninh Primary School: "At the primary school age, many students do not yet have a good awareness of maintaining general hygiene. Therefore, the school has contracted with cleaning staff to clean regularly; at the same time, we educate the children on how to use the toilets properly and to wash their hands thoroughly with soap after using the toilet..."

Meanwhile, at Lac Hong Bilingual Primary, Secondary, and High School (Tran Bien Ward, Dong Nai Province), school hygiene in particular and student health care in general are given great attention. According to Ms. Hoang Thi Diem Trang, the school principal, the school has a dedicated medical staff member with a professional license. The school strictly adheres to the guidelines for purchasing medicines and medical supplies from relevant authorities. The website and the app for communication between the school and parents provide information on how to administer medication to students, ensuring close communication between the school and parents regarding medication use in case of illness.

To date, all more than 2,200 students of Lac Hong Bilingual Primary, Secondary, and High School have health insurance. At the beginning of each school year, the school collaborates with Dong Nai Children's Hospital and other medical facilities in the province to organize general health check-ups for students.

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