SHOULD students be made to clean school toilets?
This question has surfaced on the media as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently said that getting pupils to take turns to wash school toilets should not be viewed negatively.
He said on June 3 that such an activity would help instil Madani values in pupils, while teaching them to be more appreciative of the efforts of others.
Anwar, who was education minister from 1986 to 1991, also said he had implemented a programme at the time where pupils took turns to clean their school toilets.
Read on to find out what students themselves think about this.
Values like cleanliness should be taught more in schools because they pose a big opportunity to educate our students on personal and household discipline. As the years go by, I find that the younger students need more discipline, especially when it comes to things like cleaning. Some of them are privileged enough to not have to experience any household chore, but it is important that they do it for their future, so I agree with teaching students to clean up after themselves. – Adeena Salimee, 16
If the students are made to wash school toilets, the teachers must assist too, instead of ordering them around. This shows team spirit regardless of age and rank, and it will also instil positive values such as responsibility and appreciation of their surroundings. Although their work should not be a substitute for that of a professional cleaning team, students will learn to empathise with what janitors have to go through and think twice about making it harder for them in future. – Kong Yong Sin, 15
Cleaning should be adopted as a common task for students to undertake as part of their responsibilities in school. They will hesitate to dirty the toilets after washing them. Cleaning duties could be arranged into a daily roster, with students of all ages taking part and teachers supervising, of course. Cleaning will also instil humility and a sense of community in youths. If wielded by teachers as a punishment, it will be all too easy for students to look at cleaning toilets as a mundane chore, when in fact it’s necessary to maintain the hygiene of a place we all use every single day. – Hayley Poh, 16
I agree with this to some extent. If it were to be implemented, monitoring should be done by teachers to make sure the students on duty themselves are doing the job and not someone else they force to replace them. This is an act of bullying. Furthermore, the task should not affect the students’ classes and should be treated as a form of cultivation instead of punishment or burden. I am sure if the execution is done well, it would serve as a great form of nurturing for our students. – Nur Alia Irdina Rosdi, 19
I agree with the idea of allowing students to take on the responsibility of cleaning the washrooms in school. It instils in students a sense of belonging, responsibility, and awareness of cleanliness and teamwork. However, it should be planned thoroughly because students have to juggle various activities such as examinations, school activities, extracurricular activities and seminars. Not to mention, some students require more attention when it comes to obtaining new knowledge. – Leong Weng Sam, 20
All students featured here are participants of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team. To join Star-NiE’s online youth community, go to facebook.com/niebrats.
