Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!

In medieval England, the difficulty of accessing water and lack of hygiene severely affected daily life.

Families living in rural areas had to use water sparingly, leading to the practice of reusing the same bathwater.

The family members would bathe in order, from the oldest to the youngest.

By the end, the babies would be bathed last, and the water would become so dirty that it was hard to even see the baby in it.

Hence, the English phrase “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater” came into being.

This idiom emphasizes that while trying to solve an important issue, we must not neglect another equally important matter.

With the reopening of schools, hygiene problems have resurfaced. Many families have been sending their children to private schools due to this concern.

Throughout history, education has been recognized as vital for every society, yet providing a healthy and hygienic learning environment is as crucial as education itself.

Education is not limited to the transfer of knowledge within the classroom; ensuring that our children are in a healthy environment is an essential part of the ‘hidden curriculum.’ Hygiene and cleanliness are social norms that children learn by experiencing them at school.

However, as of 2024, it is alarming to see that hygiene standards in our country’s schools still do not meet adequate levels.

Aside from the undeniable reality that overcrowded classrooms create issues in education, problems such as insufficient cleaning staff and a lack of hygiene supplies endanger the health of not only students but also teachers.

In environments where hygiene is not maintained, the risk of spreading diseases increases, and this can disrupt educational processes.

What is particularly striking is the growing perception that hygiene problems in schools are being deliberately created.

Devaluing education, exacerbating inequality in educational opportunities, and pushing education toward private institutions appear to be driving forces behind the deteriorating hygiene conditions in schools.

The pandemic has taught us, in a harsh way, that hygiene is not just an individual responsibility but a societal necessity.

COVID-19 highlighted once again the importance of hygiene in schools.

The closure of schools during the pandemic, the interruption of face-to-face education, and the reliance on digital solutions underscored the consequences of hygiene deficiencies.

Despite these hard lessons, hygiene conditions in schools remain insufficient. This leaves our education system vulnerable to future threats.

Therefore, investments in the cleaning and hygiene standards of schools should be seen as an investment in the quality of education.

Administrators should not overlook the issue of hygiene. Education must be approached as a holistic process in which children can grow in a healthy environment, rather than being merely a transfer of knowledge. Without ensuring a healthy educational environment, improving other aspects of education will not suffice.

We do not believe that those responsible are unaware of these problems. The pandemic made these issues more visible. Yet, despite this awareness, the failure to take adequate measures is a significant shortcoming.

Maintaining hygiene in schools should not be a priority only during a pandemic but at all times.

Ensuring the health of our children is the most important investment in our country’s future.

03.10.2024

Sevim DALGIÇ GÜL