To most kids and teenagers all around the world, the worst place in school they dread ending up in is the principal’s office - unless of course you’re in Bangladesh, in which case it’s probably the second worst place. Air permeated with the rancid stench of urea, ground checkered with mud, water, other unidentified liquids and little pieces of sullied lux soaps scattered, we present to you the average Bangladeshi school toilet, the scariest place to have to end up in school.
Now it’s common knowledge that the toilets in Bangladeshi schools, to make a major understatement, isn’t quite up to par. Whether it’s a broken flush, dirty floors, lack of toilet paper, shortage of water, or even weird handwritten messages on the walls asking you to call them (no, I am not looking for a good time), almost everything about the place screams neglect. You go in for relief and exit scarred, your nose protesting in distress and you are simply grossed out. That is, assuming the overwhelming smell of urea didn’t black you out and you actually managed to exit the place.
And what these conditions do is instill in you immense fear of the number two. In fact, you probably can’t scare Bangladeshi students in schools enough to make them release in their pants because they’re more afraid of the latter! Jokes apart, this has grown to be serious issue. There are countless cases of students “holding it in” during school hours, their minds far from their lessons, only because they deem holding back a smaller torture than visiting the school lavatory. As the war rages in the lower part of your body, your entire being is invested into generating that extra bit of energy to support your muscles. Questions fade in and out of your head: will I make it? Is this the end? This feeling is commonly termed constipation, which can be a facial expression as well because it almost always shows on your face (someone inevitably finds out from your feverish expressions and suppressed replies). This usually ends with them cracking a few jokes, sharing a hearty laugh. But deep down inside, they too can relate because they’ve all been there.
So how can institutions like schools where children are educated have places of such unhygienic stature? This is a fundamental error on the part of a school’s administrative board. Schools take pride in not just educating students, but also teaching them discipline and structure for the rest of their lives. But nurturing proper hygiene practices is an essential part of instilling that discipline and structure, something a Bangladeshi schools usually fail to see. When a school’s toilet lacks the basic amenities a person needs to complete his/her business, students avoid it like a plague. If a school’s toilet isn’t clean or hygienic, students will use it carelessly.
One solution is establishing basic toilet etiquette classes in school so students don’t misuse the toilet (make sure their streams hit the mark, not the wall) and follow standard procedures (flushing would be great). The school itself should train janitors to make sure toilets are constantly cleaned, and amenities like soap, toilet paper and water (deem yourself lucky if you can't relate) is never absent. If the school makes an effort into making the toilet a hygienic and convenient environment, students will make an effort to maintain that environment.
If we can dare to dream of a digital Bangladesh, we can dare to dream of a toilet with soap and water, can’t we? Because constipation; it demands to be released.
“As a nine year old boy, I was aware of the horrors of the school lavatory. However, victimised by my bad luck, it so happened that I had to use the school toilet and that too for number two. Upon relieving myself (with great difficulty, I assure you) I knew the worst was yet to come when I could not see any soap around me. In my moment of panic, I did not know what to do. After calling out to the bua (janitor) a few times, I realised no one was coming for me. So I calmly wiped my hands in the dirty towel, went to class and went about my business. Upon reaching home I washed my hands a million times and have never visited the school lavatory again.”
- Samia Zaman, 16
“It was a rainy day and by no mere coincidence, I slipped and fell onto a puddle of mud. Knowing how it would look, I immediately sneaked into the school toilet, disgusting as it is, and turned on the tap only to find that the one thing that a bathroom was reliable for wasn't there. Yes I am talking about water, in case you thought school toilets have much of anything else. I had no option but to go to the classroom and assume my friends would be mature 15-year-old's. But as you know, there is no such thing, and I leave it to you to guess how that went”
- Tasmia Ekram Farhana, 14
“Let me tell you about a nightmare I once had. No, it does not involve Bigfoot, the Yeti, the Loch Ness monster or any other terrifying entity. Imagine having diarrhoea and rushing to the school washroom only to find that there is no tissue, no hand spray, a dirty toilet seat and a flush that doesn't work. Then imagine reliving that dream again and again throughout the day. Needless to say I have never taken the risk to go to school with even the slightest suspicion of food poisoning.”
-Nadir Rahman, 17
“Imagine staying in school all day for a certain event with you knowing how dirty and disgusting the bathrooms are. Now add the fact that you have to change into informal clothes in those very bathrooms. Well, this is what you would have to do. You change into your new clothes, biting onto your old ones, hopping on one foot and hoping nine ways to Sunday that you don't slip on the dirty water mudded on the floor. Next, you get the hell out and avoid drinking and using water for the rest of the day until you are in the save haven that is your home and your home bathroom. Try doing that in your next music video Beyonce.”
-Saria Kareem, 15
“I was in grade six when suddenly I realised....code red! It was during lunch break when I made my way to the toilet and realised what had happened. I was embarrassed, flustered and absolutely devastated. And of course, on top of that, I had no idea who to go to. Embarrassed and unable to reach out to my friends, I ended up locking myself in the dirty bathroom until an ayah started knocking. She took me out, was kind enough to explain to me what had happened and tried to take matters into her own hands. Since it was impossible to continue classes that day, I had to undergo a walk of shame to the sick room until my mom could come pick me up. It was an utter nightmare!”
-Farhana Samia, 16