Toiletten machen Schule – Study

Toiletten machen Schule Studie
Why

Many schools are aware of the problems associated with school toilets. Nevertheless, there is very little meaningful data on school sanitary facilities in Germany.

Together with the Institute for Public Health and Hygiene (IHPH) at the University of Bonn, we investigated the topic of school toilets from a scientific perspective for the first time. The aim of this study is to obtain an accurate and up-to-date picture of the situation of sanitary facilities in Berlin schools in order to derive effective recommendations for action for schools and politics. To this end, data was collected on the perspective and perception of students with regard to their school toilets, and an inventory of the functionality, equipment, maintenance and cleaning measures of school toilets was carried out. The survey was conducted in the 2nd school semester of 2022 with 17 secondary schools from 11 Berlin districts. The study was aimed at the school staff of the respective schools as well as at students between 14 and 16 years of age (9th grade) on the other.

In the study we give 4 recommendations that can contribute to the improvement of school toilets:

  1. at least 2 cleaning cycles per day
  2. structural participation of the students
  3. transparent and clear communication for reporting deficiencies
  4. quick action to correct deficiencies

The printed version of the study in German language can be ordered for a nominal fee: studie@germantoilet.org

Facts
  • 60%
    of school administrators indicate that sanitary facilities are not fully functional
  • 50%
    of students think that the school toilets are not well taken care of
  • D-
    is the grade that students give their school toilets

The school toilet is the first place in our society where our children handle public property unsupervised by adults. The place has great educational value.

News
Jury Session
5/7/2019 | Schools

Winners are Selected

The German school competition “Toiletten machen Schule” is reaching the final round. On the 8th of May, the jury of experts finally chose the three winning schools.

Read more
Hints

Who could participate in the study?

All secondary schools in Berlin were invited to participate. Students in the 9th grade were surveyed.

How were the data collected and analyzed?

A mixed-method approach was used consisting of three digital questionnaires (quantitative survey) as well as two focus group discussions and two interviews with school administrators (qualitative survey). A total of 17 school profiles, 16 school toilet inventory checklists, and 949 student questionnaires were submitted for analysis. Selected quantitative data were correlated using the IBM program Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29.0.

How was the study funded?

The study of GTO and the University of Bonn was sponsored by Domestos, a brand of Unilever Deutschland GmbH. Domestos and Unilever had no influence on the questions, implementation and evaluation results.

How can I order the study?

The study is available as a PDF in the download area. It can also be ordered in printed form (German only) for a nominal fee. Please send an email with the subject “Study” to studie@germantoilet.org

How can I support GTO’s commitment to better school toilets?

While our work abroad is often funded by public grants, there are no institutional funding pots for our commitment to improve sanitary hygiene in schools. In Germany, we are therefore dependent on the support of private individuals and companies and therefore appreciate their donations.

In addition, we are pleased about every committed person who becomes active at their school or at the school of their children and who campaigns for better school toilets on the basis of our findings and methods.