BANDAR PERMAISURI: The smell of flowers from the air freshener of a well-known brand placed on the corner of a sink evoke a feeling of comfort and freshness in the room, while the soft blue and grey tiles on the walls are so soothing to the eyes.
This is the feeling one gets when entering the toilet at Sekolah Kebangsan (SK) Banggol here which is also equipped with facilities, such as a shower, sink, faucet and toilet bowl of modern and up-to-date design.
The door to every toilet also has an abstract pattern with cheerful colours and there are also decorative trees and flowers in the corner and the sink area that some may be surprised to find that it is a primary school toilet.
This is the result of the toilet upgrade and maintenance project carried out by the Ministry of Education (MOE) following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s concern over the condition of school toilets in the country.
The move is a welcome relief for students after enduring decades of poor conditions when answering the call of nature.
The significant change in the toilet was made possible through an upgrading project costing RM70,000 which started in early August last year and took about two months to complete.
Now, the 300 students of the school are more enthusiastic and excited to come to school.
One of them, Alya Hanan Humaira Hairul, 12, told Bernama that the toilet used to be damaged, like the door, could not be locked, and dysfunctional toilet pumps and the place was smelly and dirty.
“But, now we have very beautiful toilets, the water is fast and there is no more bad smell,“ said the Year Six student.
The new condition of the school toilets has also made Muhammad Hafiz Mohd Farris, 12, and other students determined to maintain the cleanliness and beauty of the toilets so that they would not have to experience using dirty and smelly toilets again.
Muhammad Hafiz said the school teachers always reminded students that the toilet is for common use because of that every student is responsible for taking good care of it and keeping it clean, instead of leaving the job to the cleaners alone.
“Our teachers always tell us that we are very lucky to be able to use such a beautiful toilet at school. Lest we forget, on the walls at the toilets are placed notices with words of advice on the importance of maintaining personal and toilet hygiene,“ he said.
Meanwhile, the school headmaster, Mohd Suhaimi Endut, said SK Banggol was among the first schools to receive the allocation to carry out upgrading of the toilets.
“The squat toilets were replaced with sitting toilets. With most homes now using sitting toilets, many students are not good at using squat toilets. Because of that, some are willing to wait until they go home after school to answer the call of nature.
“We are worried that if it continues, it will cause harm to their health, “ he said, adding that the toilet also has a bathroom for the convenience of students who stay back after school for co-curricular activities.
He expressed gratitude to the prime minister, as well as Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek for their concern about the problem of dilapidated toilets in schools in the country. – Bernama
