EDUCATIONAL & STUDENT FACILITIES THE SCHOOL DIVIDE
How do the challenges vary when equipping the washrooms of a primary school compared with those of a secondary school? Liam Mynes from Tork manufacturer Essity, looks at issues such as vandalism, safety, ease of use and accessibility and comes up with school washroom solutions for students of all ages.
Equipping the washrooms of a school presents a number of challenges. But students come in all shapes and sizes, and there is a world of difference between a vulnerable five-year-old reception class pupil and an 18-year-old school-lever. Their needs will differ greatly, and the washrooms at their schools should reflect this.
Small children are often shy, sensitive and hesitant when entering a new space. They may well be intimidated by a school washroom that is messy, dirty or smelly. They might also find some fixtures difficult to use. The sinks might be too high, for example, or the taps and roller towels could be stiff and unwieldy for smaller fingers.
Loud noises made by flush systems and air dryers can also be off-putting for some younger pupils. And when all these factors are combined it is easy to comprehend how small children could be deterred from using these noisy, smelly facilities.
A recent study conducted by YouGov on behalf of Tork manufacturer Essity revealed that 44% of primary pupils avoid using the school washroom at some point each week, finding them messy, uncomfortable or intimidating.
Different issues arise in a secondary school where problems such as bullying, drug-taking and vandalism are more likely to occur. Hidden corners should be avoided in such facilities without compromising the students’ privacy. And large crowds should be managed since these will only encourage unruly behaviour.
There have been moves by several schools to ban the use of washrooms during lesson times to prevent students from disrupting lessons by wandering in and out. However, there is a risk of crowds and logjams in a situation where everyone is forced to use the toilets at the same time, between lessons and in recess breaks.
But there are some requirements that primary schools and secondaries have in common. Both types of establishment need to keep down costs, particularly during the current cost-of-living crisis. Cleanliness and hygiene are important for all schools to help prevent infections. Messiness and untidiness should be avoided because this will lead to distress, discomfort and possibly a lack of respect for the surroundings. This in turn could encourage unruly behaviour.
Toilets of all schools tend to be equipped with low-cost soap and paper options. Toilet tissue is often supplied in the form of conventional toilet rolls or jumbo roils, but both these systems have drawbacks in educational establishments.
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Conventional toilet rolls are often mishandled, left on the floor or placed on the cistern where they will quickly become wet and contaminated. Some might be thrown around the washroom by the students, after which they will become unusable. And if these toilet roll ‘missiles’ find their way into the bowl they will cause blockages and expensive plumbing call-outs.
Jumbo rolls can be difficult to use for smaller children because the end of the paper often becomes lost inside the unit. This requires the pupil to put a hand inside the unit which can potentially contaminate the hands.
The Tork SmartOne toilet tissue system works well in educational establishments since the paper can easily be extracted from the front of the unit. The dispenser is designed to give out only one sheet at a time which helps to reduce consumption and keep down costs.
The Tork SmartOne unit is also lockable to prevent vandalism, and it has no flat surfaces or crevices where drugs could be used or stashed. This feature is particularly helpful in the toilets of secondary schools.
Wash hand basins should be placed at a comfortable height according to the age of the pupils using them. Automatic taps are a good solution in both primary and secondary schools because they are easy to use, require no hand dexterity and will help to prevent water waste. And soap systems should be intuitive while providing easy access to the soap inside.
Foam soaps can help to facilitate hand-washing for the very young because they are fun to use and quick to lather. Tork Foam Soaps work particularly well in primary schools because the dispenser is designed to have a low push-force which makes hand-washing easier for younger pupils.
When it comes to hand-drying, the system provided should be quick to use and child-friendly. Air dryers take at least 10 seconds to dry the hands thoroughly and many students might be unwilling to wait this long. The noise of the dryer will also be an issue for some younger pupils.
Roller towels are often supplied in schools, but these often require a degree of pull force and are quick to jam, which means some students may end up using the same dirty length of towel.
Paper towels can help to speed up hand drying while allowing the pupil to take a towel and dry their hands as they head for the exit, which can help to relieve logjams and avoid the issue of frustrating queues.
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