As part of a module under a cleanliness campaign by the Public Hygiene Council (PHC), Primary 3 and 4 students will be able to learn how to clean school toilets.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) launched the campaign on 21 Nov to increase social consciousness for the public when it comes to keeping restrooms clean.
The module will also help these students pick up social values and norms on maintaining cleanliness.
NEA stated via a press release on 21 Nov that Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Mr Baey Yam Keng launched the Clean Public Toilets Campaign 2023 with the PHC, Restroom Association Singapore (RAS), and Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM).
Image courtesy of NEA
This year’s campaign, titled “Are you nice when no one’s around? Do it right for everyone” is based on the concept of social consciousness.
According to NEA, it encourages public toilet users to “clean, flush, dry, bin”.
The campaign also calls for individuals to heighten their awareness of their actions within toilet cubicles and practise kind acts without reward and recognition.
Image courtesy of NEA
One of its initiatives is a toilet cleanliness module, which is part of the ‘Buddy Clean Workshop’. The programme aims to instil positive social values and norms on cleanliness among Primary 3 and 4 students.
While details haven’t been released yet, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reports that this will involve cleaning school toilets.
In addition, the students will pick up practical skills and knowledge on keeping public spaces, including public toilets, clean.
In support of the campaign, PHC will be promoting wider awareness of good toilet hygiene habits through its Neighbourhood Toilet Community Group initiative.
Participating coffee shops such as PDSS 318 Food Cafeteria have said that toilet cleanliness at their premises has improved after they joined the programme.
Source: Google Maps
RAS will also continue to advocate for clean public toilets, having started the LOO (Let’s Observe Ourselves) Campaign @ Hawker Centres in 2021.
Since its launch, RAS has contacted 80 hawker centres and distributed educational tissue packets on being kind to cleaning attendants to over 25,000 public patrons. They were able to gain more than 1,200 online pledges to keep hawker centre toilets clean.
On 16 Nov, RAS launched the campaign at coffee shops and will conduct training on toilet design and maintenance for related staff.
In addition, the association will carry out toilet audits and outreach activities.
NEA went on to share that in 2022, four new hawker centres in Bukit Canberra, Fernvale, One Punggol and Senja as well as two replacement ones in Market Street and Margaret Drive opened to the public.
Image courtesy of NEA
The revamped Jurong West Hawker Centre began operations in 2023, with the new Buangkok Hawker Centre opening by the end of this year.
The toilets in hawker centres also undergo renovation when these venues have Repairs and Redecoration (R&R) works done.
For instance, Dunman Food Centre and Newton Food Centre went through R&R in 2022 and 2023.
Image courtesy of NEA
These toilets contain the following features:
For the past few years, NEA has supported the enhancement of public toilet infrastructure. The agency has also made efforts in improving public health standards in relation to the Environmental Sanitation Regime.
In 2020, the Environmental Public Health Act 1987 underwent an amendment to mandate baseline cleaning standards. It further placed greater accountability on owners of premises to meet the standards.
That same year, NEA introduced a Toilet Improvement Programme for toilets in hawker centres and coffee shops.
“These efforts, on their own, would be insufficient to raise the overall standard of public toilet cleanliness in Singapore,” NEA noted.
All toilet users should use facilities responsibly, and this is what NEA’s annual Clean Public Toilets Campaign underscores.
“Each of us should adopt a conscientious attitude of cleaning up after ourselves after each use of a public toilet,” the agency added.
Hopefully, with these efforts in place, public toilets will be more pleasant for everyone’s use and enjoyment.
Also read: Expat Praises S’pore Public Toilets, Says Even Kopitiam Ones Are Nicer Than Those In UK
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Featured image courtesy of NEA.
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