A ‘letter from a mother’ has spread on the internet and caught the attention of parents and students. The mother wrote that her son doesn’t want to go to school because the toilets are too dirty.

Parents, after reading the letter, realized that their children are also facing the same problem at school.

K, 7 year old, said “the toilets at my school have just been built, but they are always dirty”. The boy said that he has to refrain from going to toilet until he gets home, and that he never drinks water before going to school.

In fact, the problem has existed for many years.

And for many years, it has been blamed on schools. However, schools aren't the only ones to blame.

D.T, a teacher in HCM City, said schools have the responsibility of arranging enough cleaners and tools for the cleaning of toilets. However, she stressed that students need to be educated to be responsible and keep toilets clean.

“Cleaners sometimes complain that they have to clean toilets many times a day. They said the toilets become dirty just one hour after cleaning,” she said.

A lot of arguments have been raised about who is responsible for dirty toilets. Many parents accuse schools of unreasonably allocating budget for cleaning classrooms and toilets. Meanwhile, schools argue that toilets are not clean because of students’ bad conduct.

However, the teacher said that instead of spending time on arguments, it is necessary to clarify the responsibility of schools, parents and students.

The ‘letter from a mother’ has had replies from many parents, including celebrities. Thuy Anh, the wife of singer Dang Khoi, commented that one should not blame the bad conditions of schools for this problem, because the material conditions have improved after 30 years of development.

She believes the problem also lies in students’ awareness aboutkeeping toilets clean.

“If students are not taught to use toilets and facilities properly, the toilets will stay dirty and will be broken, even if the schools are equipped with modern facilities,” she said.

VJ Thuy Minh, a mother famous for her education method, said: “It is too easy to blame schools for dirty toilets. Have you ever thought that it is your children who contribute to the situation?”

Minh believes that parents should educate children about their responsibility in the matter. 

Le Huyen

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