Experts state that messy and dirty schools reduce children's attachment to school and lower their academic success, adding that dirty and messy schools create a negative role model in children's personal development.
Pointing out the hygiene problems caused by the lack of cleaning staff in schools, Dr. Ayhan Özşahin, Head of the Family Medicine Department, said, “The short-term effect of this situation manifests as children getting sick more often. One of the long-term effects is that frequent illness leads to a slowdown in children's growth and development.”
Dr. Ayhan Özşahin, Head of the Department of Family Medicine at Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, evaluated the issue of hygiene in schools.
Healthy school environments are important for raising healthy children!
“Healthy school environments are important for us to raise healthier children,” said Dr. Ayhan Özşahin, adding, “From an environmental health perspective, an important requirement is the removal and neutralization of solid waste such as garbage and food scraps, as well as liquid waste generated in sinks and toilets. In addition, dust and dirt accumulation should be prevented by regularly wiping surfaces such as floors, tables, and windows.”
Schools get dirty quickly…
Pointing out that schools, where our children spend hours in dense crowds, get dirty quickly, Dr. Ayhan Özşahin said, “In addition to toilets and sinks, children consuming meals, snacks, and various drinks also pollute the school. Surfaces are also contaminated through coughing and sneezing. Environments that are not cleaned sufficiently provide unlimited food for disease-causing microorganisms and vectors like mice, flies, and insects that carry them, leading to their uncontrolled proliferation. Dust covering surfaces also carries these microorganisms and can easily transmit them to people.”
Hygiene is critically important in preventing infectious diseases…
“Hygiene is critically important in preventing infectious diseases. The prevention of infectious disease epidemics, which have caused great harm to humanity for centuries, has been achieved not only through medical practices such as vaccines and antibiotics but also through the increasing level of hygiene in cities,” said Dr. Ayhan Özşahin, continuing:
“Hygiene problems lead to more frequent and widespread health issues such as respiratory diseases and diarrhea. If hygiene problems persist, outbreaks of diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery can be expected. The frequent and widespread occurrence of these diseases will lead to increased absenteeism from school. Frequent illness can slow down children's growth and development.”
In a messy and dirty environment, we feel uneasy!
Noting that cleanliness supports people's well-being, Dr. Ayhan Özşahin said, “Psychologically, we feel good and happy in a regular, clean environment. This way, we can concentrate better on our work. In a messy and dirty environment, however, we feel uneasy. Our attention gets distracted, our energy decreases. We experience problems focusing on our work. We become unsuccessful in our work, and our risk of accidents increases. These also increase our unhappiness.”
Messy and dirty schools reduce children's attachment to school!
Dr. Ayhan Özşahin, pointing to the importance of cleanliness in schools, continued:
“Messy and dirty schools reduce children's attachment to school and lower their academic success. A lack of cleaning staff leads to hygiene problems in schools. The short-term effect of this situation manifests as children getting sick more often. One of the long-term effects is that frequent illness leads to a slowdown in children's growth and development.”
A healthy and orderly environment increases quality of life
Stating that quality of life has gained importance today, and a healthy and orderly environment is one of the main factors increasing quality of life, Dr. Ayhan Özşahin said, “Another long-term effect manifests as children's attachment to school weakening and their academic success decreasing. The development of civilization in the world has also led to an increase in hygiene levels in urban areas. Thus, cleanliness has become one of the symbols of civilization and responsible societies. Another long-term effect of dirty and messy schools is that they create a negative role model in children's personal development.”
What can children do for hygiene in schools?
Emphasizing what children can do for hygiene in schools, Dr. Ayhan Özşahin concluded his remarks as follows:
“First and foremost, children's personal hygiene habits should be developed. It is recommended that they wash their hands with soap and water after using the toilet and before and after meals, and clean them with a wet towel when this is not possible. It would also be appropriate for them to change their clothes and wash their hands and face upon returning from school. If the hygiene level of schools is found to be insufficient, measures such as more frequent washing of school clothes and wiping school bags upon entering the house can also be recommended. Frequent use of alcohol-containing liquids like cologne and hand sanitizer can lead to skin dryness. Furthermore, issues such as accidental ingestion of such liquids may also arise.”