No toilet paper in school toilets is an offence

24 Jul, 2006 09:24 AM

To NEA
Contact/NEA/SINGOV@SINGOV                                                                        cc contact@moe.edu.sg
Subject RE : Bedok South Secondary School

To : Whom it may concern

I am bringing your attention to the lack of toilet paper in the Boys'
toilets of the above school.

The reason given by the principal is that some male students would mess up
the toilets by playing with the toilet paper. I think this is a common problem
in most public toilets & you can't make such excuses for not providing it. The
school is penalising the majority of the boys for the few mischievous boys.

On 19th July, my son rushed home from school to use the toilet. He had a
bad tummy ache. And this is the 5th time in 2 years that he had to do that. I
have tolerated this for more than 2 years & I think it is time to do something.

The school has done nothing to solve this problem. Instead of teaching the
students on the acts of vandalism, it is sad that the school has decided to
take the easy way out of not providing toilet paper.

I sent an email to the principal. My son was chided & asked to come up with
a soultion.

The principal claims that there is provision of toilet paper when it is
required. When I checked with some of my son's classmates, it was not made
known to the boys. They are expected to bring their own toilet rolls & they
can also buy tissue paper from the school bookshop.

A check with your website yields this info.


                  ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH ACT
                     (CHAPTER 95, SECTION 113)
    ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH (PUBLIC CLEANSING) REGULATIONS

Public toilet
16A. Every owner or occupier of a building shall ensure that the toilets
therein to which the public has access are at all times provided with
adequate toilet paper, soap or liquid detergent, litter bins, and clean
towels or hand dryers.

Penalty

30. Any person who contravenes any provision of these Regulations shall be
guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction -

(a) for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and to a further
fine not exceeding $100 for every day or part thereof during which the offence
continues after conviction;

(b) for a second offence, to a fine not exceeding $2,000 and to a further
fine not exceeding $200 for every day or part thereof during which the offence
continues after conviction;

and

(c) for a third or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding $5,000 and
to a further fine not exceeding $500 for every day or part thereof during which
the offence continues after conviction.

MOE being the owner of the school, shouldn't they be penalised?

This is a complaint & don't expect any solution from me. NEA will work with
MOE & the school to solve this problem for the boys of Bedok South Secondary
School.

I await your reply.


Yours sincerely,
Jayne Goh

********************** ooOoo **********************

RE : Bedok South Secondary School
(Ref: 2006/07/140191)

Dear Jayne Goh,

Thank you for your feedback. We have forwarded your email to the relevant
department for their response to you.

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Fong Wai Kean
Customer Services Branch, MOE
for PERMANENT SECRETARY (EDUCATION)

******************* ooOoo ********************

Ref: CN672515304

Dear Ms Jayne,

Thank you for your feedback dated 24 Jul, 2006 09:24 AM.

Our officer from the South East Regional Office will look into
the matter and reply to you accordingly.

Please call me or email Contact_NEA@nea.gov.sg if I can be
of further service.

Thank you for your time and concern.


Sincerely,

Abdul Muhaimin
Customer Service Officer
Tel: 1800-CALL NEA [1800-2255 632]
National Environment Agency Call Centre

Educator with a Civil Servant Mentality

Immediately after the email to me, Jaymes was chided that morning for 'being immature of you to go home to use the toilet'.

'You post me a big problem, why can't you buy a packet of tissue from the bookshop?'

'You give me a solution for this big problem,' she told Jaymes. Jaymes said to put toilet paper in the Boys' toilet.

'Once a roll of toilet paper goes in, it's going to be a big mess.'

She bought him two packets of tissue paper at the bookshop.

__________________________________________________________

Right. (smacks my forehead) I forget that if the peasants were to criticise the civil servants, we must provide solution.

Anyone ever tried wiping your ass with filmsy tissue paper? Oh, I forgot to mention the school toilets have energy saving lights. If you stay too long in the toilets, the light automatically switches off. Leaving you in darkness, to try to clean your ass.

I asked Jaymes why didn't he tell the principal he had no more money left for tissue paper? He said he wasn't supposed to answer because if he did, he would be accused of talking back.

Jaymes is not aware of the 'provision of toilet paper so long as there are request' in the school. A few quick phone calls to several of his classmates also confirm, none of them is aware of this. hmmmm....

To call Jaymes immature for rushing home to shit. Jaymes is expected to shit in the bushes & wiped his ass with leaves?

I told Jaymes, the next time you discover you have no toilet paper, tear your textbooks up and use them to wipe your ass. You have my permission. And I also put a torchlight in his school bag.

Isn't the school supposed to teach the kids about vandalism? Two blardy years and they haven't found a solution! I have kept silent for more than 2 years & tolerated the shit in this school. This is a small matter? The boys have no time to shit so early in the morning. And they wouldn't want to do it in school because there is the inconvenience of toilet paper not being easily available. Storing the waste in their body, isn't it harmful to health?

If the boys have to do their 'big business', too bad. Save it for home or the shopping malls.

I suggest the staff of the school have their toilet paper removed from their staff toilets for the next two years and then they can really be in the shoes of the boys.

What type of educators do we have in our school? Sadists? Bullies? Do they not see how ridiculous or unfair certain rules and punishments are? To turn a blind eye or keep silent when the minors are subjected to such abuse, it's scary to know that our children are abused at schools, a place where we send our children to be educated, to learn good values and be in a safe environment.

And The Parents Support Group.... they literally take it as to support the school in all decisions. The fawning and the curry-favouring, it does have its benefits when it comes to their own children.

NEA does spot checks on the public toilets. Next is what I found in their legislation & regulations.

NO toilet paper in Bedok South Secondary School boys' toilets

Dear Mdm Koh,

This is the 5th time in 2 years! Jaymes rushed home all the way from school
yesterday. Why?

He had a bad tummy ache,  and there is NO toilet paper in the boys'
toilets. He had brought his own toilet paper but he gave to his friends who
were in need and when he had an emergency yesterday, he ran out of it.

According to Jaymes, the school stopped supplying toilet paper because some
mischievous boys played with it, causing some problems?

I think this is not right. Isn't the school supposed to provide toilet
paper? And to think the school penalised all the boys for that small group
of pranksters? Isn't the school supposed to teach its students what is
acceptable and what is not?

This is not a small matter. Jaymes almost shit in his pants in the few
occasions. His classmates can vouch for that. Darren shit in his pants
once and Jaymes had to call his Dad down to bring him for a change.

How can you stop a bad tummy upset? Especially when you had the runs.

Please discuss with your staff how to solve this problem.


Thanks.

Regards,
Jayne Goh
19/7/2006

******************** ooOoo **********************

Hi Mrs Tan,

There is really no need for Jaymes to rush home to use the toilets. There
are provision for toilet paper so long as there are request. General Office
do issue toilet paper. Book shop sells tissues. Staff and students also
have with them extra packets of tissue and would be most willing to give
them to Jaymes under such emergencies.


Koh Teck Siew (Mdm)
25/7/2006