Of Schools and Toilets

We have the ISO9000 to rate management systems, the Star classifications for hotels, movies, restaurants, the stock rating for shares, credit ratings... basically there are many types of ratings. And they serve a good purpose; to ensure that a certain quality or standard is achieved.

Well, it's been the practice in schools up in Alor Setar here to classify their toilets.... I don't know about other states. But Kedah is well known for its emphasis on keceriaan. Maybe that has something to do with this state always occupying the bottom half of the list in terms of academic achievements. So we find an area we can excel in. Somehow, I think we feel that maybe if the school is beautiful it will encourage the students to study harder... This goes in the same breadth as having skirting on tables will also do the same.

So, it came as a no surprise when we, too also decided to embark on such a drive for a 5-star toilet! Been down this road before at my previous work place. You can call this a re-branding exercise to teach values to our students and teachers.... So, the schools embark on renovation drives to replace the tiles, toilet bowls, sinks and what-have-you-not which are toilet related. All in the hope of creating a 5-Star image for the toilet.

Many would agree with me that Malaysian public toilets still have a long way to go where cleanliness is concerned... though I must say that there are improvements these days. And part of the toilet training comes from school. Probably having so many foreign workers in our country has something to do with it... either that or we've progressed. 8)

Anyway, after all the renovations you would expect the users of the toilets to be wowed by it and be inspired to keep the toilets clean and sparkling.... Nope! No such luck! After a while, they get numbed to it.... Ah! the old ways return. Image without the right attitude... cannot last! First world infrastructure... third world mentality, apa boleh buat! Talk till the cows come home also, in the end the toilets remain smelly and dirty cos like many things, they don't think when they use the toilets. Dry school toilets are a rarity. And you get fantastic suggestions like everyone who goes into the toilet must wear the toilet clogs placed there all the time or plastic flowers placed near the wash bowls.

So, to overcome this problem, they came up with this smart idea of putting someone in charge. In a school, who do you think has to shoulder this responsibility??? Yup! Teachers! Now teachers are also toilet caretakers.....LOL! One of the many hats which we wear! The toilets are expected to be decorated, etc, etc.... flowers, fragrance, 'kata-kata hikmat' etc, etc. You would expect that teachers should be spending the time, preparing their lessons and other teaching related stuff... Well, I guess toilet tending or toilet patrol now qualifies as other teaching related stuff. In this Bolehland, all her teachers memang boleh in everything!

And, if you think the teachers are not exasperated by such call of duty and be distracted by them, think twice.... add that to forced extra classes, gardener duties, classroom duties, jaga duty, odd jobs duty and other teaching related stuff, .... how ar? In our SKT, teaching is supposed to make up 95% of the assessment marks with only 5% for other 'kay-poh' and community service. Is it no wonder that this is part of the myriad of problems facing our education system now??? Beats me! The geniuses up there must know something I don't!

Anyway... toilets and teachers.... or is it teachers and toilets.. aiyah! whatever it is, teachers also cannot live without toilets... Maybe we should introduce toilet etiquette as part of the curriculum too.