'New look' for school toilets

GD&TĐ - Entering the 2025-2026 school year, in addition to renovating and decorating classrooms, many educational institutions in Ho Chi Minh City also renovated and renovated their restroom systems...

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In the 2025-2026 school year, Nam Sai Gon High School (Tan My, Ho Chi Minh City) has repaired, upgraded, and equipped a modern, clean restroom system that is comparable to... a hotel. The restrooms have common characteristics of being spacious, airy, with dry floors; adequate lighting, airy, and equipped with a music sound system.

Each floor has separate restrooms for men and women, air-conditioned, 6-8 toilets, many sinks with dryers, deodorizers; soap and paper are neatly arranged. Each restroom has staff on duty during peak hours, both cleaning, keeping the space dry and clean, reminding students during use, and instructing new students on how to line up, use equipment, and wash their hands properly.

According to Principal Tran Nghia Nhan, toilets are ancillary works, but are very important in every school. Unclean toilets affect the health of students, even haunt them, greatly affect their studies, even make them afraid to go to school. Therefore, last summer, in addition to building the school landscape, investing in facilities for classrooms and functional rooms, this ancillary work was also the top concern of the Board of Directors.

Similarly, at Luong Dinh Cua Secondary School (Cat Lai Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), entering the new school year 2025 - 2026, the school's restroom system has been invested in and improved a lot: Installing ceiling fans, adding mirrors, planting trees in the restroom area, redesigning the door system... In particular, this area is always clean and airy, creating a comfortable feeling for students when using it.

Ms. Vu Thi Minh Hieu - Principal shared that the sanitation facilities are always focused on to complete synchronously with the system of classrooms and functional rooms. The school's restrooms meet standards, are always green, clean, and commensurate with the overall national standard school model. The school determines that restrooms not only serve personal needs but also play an important role in protecting students' health.

At Tran Hung Dao Primary School (Cau Ong Lanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), the restroom system is always given special attention. Ms. Le Thanh Huong - Principal of the school said that the restrooms in the school are equipped with air fresheners, ventilation fans, toilet paper, and mirrors.

Each area has a cleaning log, clearly stating the time of implementation, signed by the staff, team leader and vice principal in charge. Staff are trained, work with a professional and dedicated attitude in the spirit of serving students. At the same time, the school also installs surveillance cameras outside the restrooms to support monitoring, reminding and promptly handling arising situations.

The restroom entrance area of ​​Luong Dinh Cua Secondary School has instructions on hand washing procedures and restroom rules. Photo: NTCC

Raising awareness of public hygiene

Sharing her experience in operating and managing school toilets effectively, Ms. Le Thanh Huong said that in addition to training staff and installing camera systems, the school also organizes and develops a self-managed student group called the “Green Shirt Team”. Students are encouraged to promote and remind each other, creating habits of hygiene. The Board of Directors conducts regular and surprise inspections to ensure that the quality of the toilets always meets requirements.

“We integrate the content of school hygiene culture into class activities, flag salutes and experiential activities. In addition, every year the school organizes the topic “What I want to say” to listen to students and contribute to building a school that meets their wishes,” Ms. Le Thanh Huong shared.

Ms. Tong Thi Mai Huong - Vice Principal of Hoa Binh Primary School (Sai ​​Gon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) said that although the toilets have been invested in, if students do not have the awareness to use them, they will quickly break down. Therefore, raising awareness of maintaining equipment and teaching students to maintain public hygiene is something that every teacher and school must pay attention to.

All restrooms at Nam Sai Gon High School are equipped with dryers. Photo: NTCC

“The school’s restroom system has been well-invested for many years. In recent times, the school has paid special attention to the maintenance work to keep the restrooms clean as new. Experience is to focus on building awareness from the Board of Directors, teachers, staff to students. Leaders regularly remind in meetings so that employees can see the job requirements and proactively arrange their time. The requirement is that the restrooms must always be clean,” said Ms. Tong Thi Mai Huong.

At Hoa Binh Primary School, the Board of Directors also assigns staff to be in charge and responsible for specific areas. During peak hours such as recess, mealtimes, and when students wake up, nannies and service staff must be on duty to keep the restroom floors clean and dry. In addition, the school has increased the wall-mounted fan system to keep the restrooms well-ventilated.

Ms. Cao Thi Thien Phuc - Head of the Student Department (Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training) - said that many schools in Ho Chi Minh City manage and operate toilets very well, clean, and are highly appreciated by parents and students. However, many places still receive complaints. To keep school toilets clean and beautiful, not only do we need regular cleaning staff but we also need awareness from students. Ms. Phuc emphasized that students' awareness accounts for about 30% in maintaining the cleanliness of school toilets.

At the conference to summarize and deploy tasks for the new school year with general education in Ho Chi Minh City on August 20, Director of the Department of Education and Training Nguyen Van Hieu emphasized: Seemingly small problems such as dirty toilets and unsatisfactory classrooms directly affect the quality of education and require schools to focus on finding solutions. As for toilets, if students do not dare to enter, the principal has not fulfilled his/her duties. If that happens, the principal should review his/her capacity and responsibility.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/khoac-ao-moi-cho-nha-ve-sinh-trong-truong-hoc-post747820.html