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Ediot !! dont you that its all INDIAN TAMILS who do the Toilet cleaning here

Access to sanitation is lowest in districts such as Anuradhapura, Ampara and Moneragala and in some conflict affected districts, sanitation is as low as 30%. A high percentage of Sri Lanka s 10,000 schools do not have adequate sanitation facilities and 600 do not have any at all 15% of the schools have facilities that been recorded as irreparable by the Ministry of Education. According to the school census of 2007, in Sri Lanka 3658 schools do not have adequate sanitation facilities and 2373 do not have drinking water facilities

CHENNAI: Many school-going children in the city avoid using the toilets in their schools for hours together, as they are too dirty and stink . And these are children going to some posh private schools in the city.

Despite raising the issue with the managements on several occasions, little has been done, say parents. Many parents wrote letters and dropped their suggestion in the box kept at the school. But nothing has improved, says the mother of two children, who go to a CBSE school in Adyar.

Her daughter, a kindergarten student, and her son who is in Class III, prefer to wait till they get back home to relieve themselves.

In fact, one of her daughter s classmates refused to go to school as she dreaded having to use the toilet there. Every morning, she would cry and say she does not want to go to school, as the toilet is horrible, says the parent.

Frequent cleaning

Apart from the poor hygiene or lack of water, cited commonly, children point to an unbearable stench. Another student in Class VI of a reputed school in Mylapore says the toilets on the premises are extremely dirty. The stench comes even in the first floor, she says.

Her mother is sure the child is not exaggerating. The few times I have been to her class, I have felt that the stench was awful, she says.

Parents say that cleaning the toilets more frequently could be a solution.

Not all small children are toilet-trained. For many, their parents might be doing the job at home. Therefore, it becomes very important for schools to ensure toilets are cleaned frequently, says R. Subha, parent of a Class III student going to a private school in Anna Nagar. Not voiding one s bladders for hours together could have serious implications on one s health, caution doctors.

Sarada Suresh, director of the Institute of Child Health, says children who do not listen to their body needs and avoid using the toilets may not drink enough water, too.

Urinary infection is another consequence quite common among children. While we may not be able to conclude that a child picks up the infection at school, it is important that school managements pay more attention to maintaining toilets hygienically, she says.

Ediot !! dont you that its all INDIAN TAMILS who do the Toilet cleaning here

Toilets in poor condition

Toilets are in poor condition in not only kindergarten schools but also high schools and colleges. Even students in higher standards are not able to use the toilets at some schools because they are too dirty and not being cleaned regularly. Recently, in a women s college, when the students complained about the stench emanating from the toilet, the management found a easy way to address the issue by closing the toilets for days. It is time the government intervened and deputed health officers to look into such issues.

'Toilets, not TVs, needed'

Special Correspondent



CHENNAI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam should have promised to construct toilets in slums instead of offering free colour television sets to the poor, V. Kalyanam, who worked as personal secretary to Mahatma Gandhi, said on Tuesday. On the DMK's poll assurance, Mr. Kalyanam told a function organised by the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Memorial National Welfare Foundation to mark the 150th anniversary of the commencement of freedom struggle that the slums now had more TV sets than toilets. Good governance should have been the focus of the party's electoral plank.

R.S. Chhikara, trustee-secretary of Netaji-Azad Hind Fauj Smarak Nyas (Indian Natinoal Army Memorial Trust), wanted the day of declaration of India's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War observed as Victory Day. He said a nation that did not remember its heroes and heroic deeds would not command the respect of others.

Nalli Kuppusami Chetti, industrialist, said the youth should be sensitised to the sacrifices made by freedom fighters.

Venkatarajulu, chairman, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Arts College, Thiruvarur, and M. Kumar, secretary of the Foundation, spoke.