Not wrong to train students to clean school toilets - PM
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has ordered the Education Ministry to carry out school toilet inspections to ensure that students have comfortable facilities.
He said he found that some school toilets were damaged and had not been repaired for years.
“I told (Education Minister) Fadhlina (Sidek) to check because many toilets in schools are broken, nobody has cared for decades.
“How are we going to send our children to school if the toilets are broken?” he said while inaugurating D’Anjung Selera Madani Jalan Jujur at Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur today.
To ensure comfort and cleanliness are maintained, Anwar called for children to be taught to wash toilets.
Recalling the time he was education minister in 1986, he said he faced objections from parents when schoolchildren were told to clean toilets.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
“Children must be trained to clean toilets. When I was the education minister, I instructed all schools to take turns cleaning toilets.
“There were professional upper-class parents sending telegrams saying: ‘Minister, I am sending my children to study at school not to clean toilets’,” he added.
Anwar then had to explain to the parents that it was to educate students about cleanliness and respect for all people including those who clean toilets.
In addition, he said the students will indirectly understand and appreciate the housework their mothers do.
“They will appreciate those who clean the streets, the public toilets. That there is value in that work.
“If they don’t want (to clean the toilet), then they cannot use it.
“They can use (the toilet) at the school in heaven,” Anwar said jokingly.
“Children must be trained to clean toilets. When I was the education minister, I instructed all schools to take turns cleaning toilets.
“There were professional upper-class parents sending telegrams saying: ‘Minister, I am sending my children to study at school not to clean toilets’,” he added.
Anwar then had to explain to the parents that it was to educate students about cleanliness and respect for all people including those who clean toilets.
In addition, he said the students will indirectly understand and appreciate the housework their mothers do.
“They will appreciate those who clean the streets, the public toilets. That there is value in that work.
“If they don’t want (to clean the toilet), then they cannot use it.
“They can use (the toilet) at the school in heaven,” Anwar said jokingly.
Maybe a quarterly gotong royong where all have to chip in , and appreciate respect for toilets.
ReplyDeleteI believe many Malaysians learn disrespect for public toilet facilities from their school days.