A recent poll of 500 UK school staff has revealed a concerning rise in hygiene poverty among students, with 71 per cent of participants reporting awareness of pupils struggling with hygiene issues in the last six months.
As hygiene poverty spreads through public schools, teachers are witnessing first-hand the adverse effects on children’s well-being and ability to focus.
A significant rise in hygiene poverty within UK schools
The survey, conducted by the eco-friendly brand Smol, shed light on the issue of hygiene poverty affecting UK students. According to the findings, a staggering 80 per cent of school staff noted that more children are coming to school in unclean conditions – often wearing dirty clothes, with unwashed hair, and sometimes with noticeable body odour. Teachers also reported that many pupils arrived at school with unbrushed teeth, contributing to an overall concern for the children’s physical health.
This rise in hygiene poverty comes amidst an ongoing cost-of-living crisis in the UK, where families are being forced to make difficult choices between heating their homes, putting food on the table, and purchasing hygiene products.
In some cases, students are also dealing with rotting teeth or skin infections, problems that teachers say are becoming more common. This not only impacts the child’s self-esteem but can also lead to bullying, further isolation, and difficulty concentrating on their studies.
Is the hygiene poverty crisis solely an issue for UK schools?
Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated issue and Europe is not immune. In certain areas, especially lower-income regions, schools face similar challenges. According to the UNICEF and WHO report on global hygiene and sanitation, around 26 per cent of schools in Europe still lack proper hygiene services. Though Europe generally maintains higher standards, gaps exist, particularly in rural schools or schools with lower funding. For instance, some schools in Europe do not provide consistent access to essential hygiene services, including handwashing facilities with soap and water.
What can be done about the hygiene poverty crisis in schools?
In response to these alarming findings, calls for government intervention are growing. School staff are urging authorities to take the issue seriously, recommending funding for hygiene initiatives in schools. Some schools have already begun taking steps by offering free hygiene packs to students in need, but these efforts are not widespread or consistent.
Educational unions, like NASUWT, have also demanded greater attention to hygiene poverty from the UK government. NASUWT General Secretary Patrick Roach called on the Department of Education to support struggling families: “No child should suffer the shame and embarrassment of coming to school in dirty and unwashed clothes because their family either can’t afford to wash them, or doesn’t have enough money for spare items of school uniform, which are becoming increasingly expensive for many. It is undeniable that teachers are having to pick up the pieces of rising levels of child poverty, caused by the worst cost-of-living crisis in half a century.”
