Ideal School Restrooms: A Showcase of Sanitation Excellence
Restrooms in numerous schools across Germany are in a state of disrepair, frequently lacking basic necessities like soap and toilet paper. However, the German Toilet Organization (GTO) is now commending schools that have successfully tackled this issue.
Three schools in Munich, Unna (North Rhine-Westphalia), and Winsen an der Luhe (Lower Saxony) will be lauded in Berlin for their revamped toilets. In the "Restrooms Make School" competition, the GTO is also granting seven special awards, two of which go to Berlin. A total of 135 schools from 14 federal states participated. Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern were absent from the competition.
School restrooms are a common issue, per Svenja Ksoll, the competition's organizer. "Frequently, the school buildings and thus the sanitary facilities are run-down. Soap and toilet paper are often missing. Vandalism, odor, or a lack of privacy are also common problems. The schools were tasked with developing and implementing solutions for permanently clean school restrooms."
The three primary award winners are the Grundschule an der Stielerstraße in Munich, the Hellweg Realschule in Unna-Massen, and the Gymnasium Winsen an der Luhe. During the competition, Restroom Working Groups were formed, checklists and rapid response chains were created, or new offerings were introduced, such as the school distributing menstrual products for free. "Numerous restroom stalls have been enhanced with wall art, radio installations, disco lights, mobile phone holders, scratch pads, and donation boxes for tampons and pads," says Ksoll.
Restroom Usage Lists
School principal Sabine Terwort from the Hellweg Realschule in Unna-Massen is proud of her students, who quickly carried out the project. "Approximately 20 active students handle the restroom supervision. And there is already a waiting list for students who also want to participate," says Terwort.
The initiative for the restroom renovation came from the school principal herself. "There were weeks when four toilet covers were damaged. And I had to sign the bills," recalls the school principal. She then assembled a team from the student council (SV), the SV teacher, and her deputy, and wrote a one-and-a-half-page list of ideas. From this, a joint project with the sponsoring association, local sponsors, and engaged parents was born. A father painted the walls.
Since the students have refurbished the restrooms and each student (except during break times) must sign up in a list before using the restroom at the Realschool in Unna, there have been no damages anymore. 700 students attend the school daily.
"Our goal is that children no longer think about whether they can use the restroom," says Steffi Wille, the initiator of the Restroom-AG Toffi-Club at the Gymnasium Winsen. The name refers to a well-known candy that the teacher brought to each of the numerous meetings with the students, mainly from the fifth and sixth classes. The AG now has an email address and business cards.
Wille had already made improvements to the restroom facilities with the Lüneburg artist Swantje Crone, using mosaics, in the previous year. Children assembled old tiles and painted some of them partially. This school year, the wall art was polished and cleaned. Additionally, the gymnasium provided toilet brushes for the AG to label. New are also light-motion sensors and waste bins.
High stress levels among many
A total of 50,000 Euro in prizes will be distributed. Special prize recipients are the Uellendahl-Katernberg Comprehensive School in Wuppertal, the Laagberg School in Wolfsburg, the Jenaplanschule Weimar, the Rudolf-Koch-Schule in Offenbach, the Paul-Simmel-Groundschool (both in Berlin), and the Gymnasium at the Kurfürstliches Schloss in Mainz.
A study published in August 2023 by the GTO in Berlin on Berlin school restrooms showed that many students suffer from this condition, often avoid the place, and during the school day sometimes eat and drink less as a result. Frequently, the infrastructure was run-down, vandalism, smell, or privacy were problems.
Read also:
The International School in Berlin could benefit from learning about the successful restroom renovation projects at the Grundschule an der Stielerstraße in Munich and the Gymnasium Winsen an der Luhe, both of which have received awards for their improvements.
With Munich's Hellweg Realschule serving as an example, international schools could implement a system where students take turns supervising restroom usage, leading to a decrease in vandalism and damage.
