Survey Shows Students’ Concerns over School Restrooms
Unger Launches HealthySchool Awareness Program
Results of a national study interviewing more than 135,000 high school students around the country indicates that young people rank the deteriorating conditions of their school restrooms right below “War and Terrorism” as issues of greatest concern.
The survey, by Project 540* and administered by Providence College in Providence, RI, was released right before most schools closed for their summer sessions. Interviews were conducted in more than 250 high schools around the country in both rural and urban settings. Students were asked what issues mattered most to them in their schools, communities, nation, and world.
According to the survey, these are the top five items of greatest concern among America’s high school students: 1. School Lunch Programs 2. Teachers and Classes 3. War and Terrorism 4. School Restrooms 5. Parking Issues
“The fact that dirty and degraded school restrooms are so much on the mind of students should not surprise us,” said Rick Benjamin, Assistant Director of Project 540. “Most adults would not tolerate substandard restrooms in their workplaces or compulsory offices, yet this is what we are asking adolescents among us to tolerate.”
HealthySchool Program Launched
“As a parent myself, it’s no surprise to me that America’s high school students are so concerned about the cleanliness and appearance of their school restrooms,” said Vicki Haslob, Marketing Coordinator at Unger Enterprises. “It’s a concern for me personally and one reason Unger is trying to bring this issue into the media limelight through its HealthySchool Awareness Program.”
The HealthySchool Awareness Program has been launched by Unger to improve the cleanliness, health, and hygiene of America’s schools by helping parents and school administrators become aware of the poor conditions found in many school restrooms. Unger Enterprises’ believes there is a direct correlation between clean schools and academic success. “It is becoming increasingly recognized that the indoor environment in schools is directly related to human health, image, self-esteem, and attitude, all of which affect academic performance,” said Dr. Michael Berry, a Research Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Senior Research Scientist at Research Triangle Institute of North Carolina.
“Most schools are working with diminishing purchasing budgets, so equipment such as expensive pressure washing systems are just out of the question and often not needed,” said Haslob. “However, much can be accomplished at very little cost. Improved training—made easier with colorcoded cleaning tools—implementing a restroom cleaning system, and using simple, inexpensive but innovative tools are often more than adequate to keep school restrooms clean and healthy,” she added.
For more information on the HealthySchool Awareness Program and how you can help, please e-mail rkravitz@rcn.com.
The goal of the HealthySchool Awareness Program is to improve the cleanliness, health, and hygiene of America’s schools by helping parents and school administrators become aware of the poor conditions found in many school restrooms. About Unger Unger Enterprises, Inc., an international company with offices in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, has been manufacturing ergonomically designed cleaning tools for more than 35 years. Unger takes pride in developing innovative and unique products and cleaning systems that allow professionals to achieve consistent quality results while saving time and energy. 
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