Students at French primary schools avoid using restrooms because of their poor sanitary conditions, a government-sponsored study said, prompting a parents’ group to call for action.
During the 2005-06 school year, “nearly half of students said they had stomach aches because they were not able to go to the toilet,” according to the report.
Odor, at 73 percent, and a lack of cleanliness, at 57 percent, were the main reasons named by students for shunning restrooms. A significant portion of students exhibited conditions such as urinary infections that appeared related to not going to the bathroom often enough.
France’s main association for students’ parents now demands “an education policy on hygiene that includes children, parents, teachers, and service and health personnel.“
