Dirty schools and classrooms negatively impact occupant health, performance, and morale, resulting in many undesirable consequences, including poor student test scores and increasing absences--strong predictors of a child's prospects and outcomes as an adult.
The Big Problem With Dirty Schools
Dirty classrooms subject to low-tier cleaning standards are an issue with far-reaching consequences that negatively impact society.
Further, as students return to the classroom after a long and arduous 'break' due to prolonged remote learning and pandemic-related school closures, educators must step up their game in multiple areas to regain ground lost during the physical classroom hiatus.
Unfortunately, schools, especially classrooms, typically due to budgeting constraints, are often subject to low-grade cleaning standards and efforts, resulting in unacceptable learning conditions.
Take, for instance, a well-documented series of challenges and issues the Chicago Public School District faces.
After years of complaints regarding classroom cleanliness and overall facility hygiene, culminating in a publicized rodent infestation, district supervisors conducted a series of 'blitz' inspections where more than 70% of the inspected facilities failed.
According to the Chicago Tribune,
Taking on long-standing complaints about school cleanliness, Chicago Public Schools plans to conduct monthly inspections of buildings as part of a process that could result in sanctions against companies that were recently awarded renewals on multimillion-dollar maintenance contracts.
Parent advocates and the Chicago Teachers Union greeted the effort with skepticism at Wednesday's school board meeting.
The district's plan follows years of discord about school conditions that resurfaced after a rodent infestation at Mollison Elementary school late last year and questions raised by the Chicago Sun-Times about subsequent building inspections.
CPS said it conducted 125 comprehensive "blitz" inspections at schools to assess their conditions.
Ninety-one of those schools failed initial inspections, officials said, falling short on a variety of categories including food storage and pest control.
Chicago schools chief promises 'accountability' in addressing school cleanliness problems
The short-term consequences of neglect on this level have been tied directly to:
- Increases in asthma and other respiratory-related illnesses, including influenza--a terrifying prospect given the current state of the pandemic.
- Lower test scores.
- High staff and faculty turnover rates.
- Poor attendance--both students and teachers and;
- Reduced property value.
To combat the enormous challenge of classroom cleanliness across the country, we must first understand how we arrived at this junction.
How Classrooms Get Dirty
U.S. schools house and care for just north of 50 million students.
That's a lot of foot traffic and bodies going in and out of a series of small enclosed spaces five days per week, and a lot of dirt, germs, and bacteria being tracked everywhere.
Further, students aren't known for their high-quality hand hygiene, which compounds the issue of cleanliness in the classroom.
Other major challenges include:
- Poor equipment condition and overall maintenance.
- Surface and area cross-contamination.
- Insufficient cleaning frequencies.
- Supply hoarding.
- No guidance regarding product purchasing.
- The absence of a discernable and qualified chain of command.
- Little to no training for custodial workers.
- No career track and insufficient incentives for janitors.
- Reactive as opposed to proactive services, and;
- An absence of a clearly defined cleaning system and standards.
The Importance of Classroom Cleaning and Cleanliness Standards
Clean classrooms are vital to students' and teachers' mental, physical, and emotional health.
According to the findings published in a 2002 report regarding Charles Young Elementary School in Washington, DC.,
The cleanliness of schools is also an important aspect of school environments.
Clean schools not only lower the threat of the spread of illness but also convey a caring message to the students and teachers.
Cleaning and maintenance of schools are vitally important and are often underemphasized and underperformed.
Students feel better going to clean classes and sitting in clean desks and surroundings.
Sanitation in schools is important because young children face unique health hazards, especially respiratory infections, asthma attacks, skin disease, and diarrheal outbreaks. [1]
The importance of a well-defined cleaning standard was underscored in a report published by the Simon Institute;
Standards set a level of safety and performance for most industries.
Therefore, a cleaning standard that ensures the building’s air quality, safety and health of the people therein should exist.
Research shows that students in K-12 schools have improved capacity to learn when school environments are clean.
Because there is no cleaning standard for K-12 educational facilities, students are frequently exposed to poor indoor environments and learning suffers. [2]
Strategies for Cleaner Schools
To address these challenges, schools should adopt comprehensive cleaning standards and practices, including:
- Implementing Defined Cleaning Protocols: Establish clear cleaning standards and schedules to ensure consistent cleanliness.
- Training for Custodial Staff: Provide thorough training and career development opportunities for cleaning personnel.
- Engaging Professional Cleaning Services: Consider outsourcing to reputable cleaning companies with a track record of effective infection prevention and control.
References & Resources
- Healthy School Environment and Enhanced Educational. (n.d.). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED473985.pdf
- (2024). Simoninstitute.org. https://simoninstitute.org/clean-schools-initiative/
- Curry, A. (2019, August 8). Why Dirty Schools are a Big Problem—and What We Can Do to Clean Them Up – ManageMen. Managemen.com. https://managemen.com/why-dirty-schools-are-a-big-problem-and-what-we-can-do-to-clean-them-up/
- Digest of Education Statistics, 2020. (n.d.). Nces.ed.gov. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d20/tables/dt20_203.60.asp
- What Makes a School Dirty? – ManageMen. (n.d.). Managemen.com. https://managemen.com/what-makes-a-school-dirty/
- Provo City Schools Research Part III: The Incredible Results of a Systematic Approach to Cleaning – ManageMen. (n.d.). Managemen.com. Retrieved February 8, 2024, from https://managemen.com/provo-city-schools-research-part-iii-the-incredible-results-of-a-systematic-approach-to-cleaning/
Takeaway
Improving the cleaning standards and processes in schools and classrooms have demonstrable and measurable results, including:
- Better student and teacher health.
- Improved safety outcomes.
- Reduced operational costs.
- Improved morale, and;
- An overall better school.
Outsourcing to a service provider with a proven background of performance and success will help fast-track your district to success.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
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