There are many things that a school should focus on. For one, school administrators should ensure that their establishment is providing quality education. There should also be a robust extra-curricular programme for a more well-rounded development of a student’s knowledge, skills, and talents.
That said, there are also things beyond studying and academics that school administrators and facility managers should pay attention to. For example: cleanliness. It’s crucial to ensure that the entire school’s premises are kept clean, hygienic, and organised. Why? There are many reasons, including the ones below:
It Creates an Environment More Conducive to Learning
One of the primary roles of a school is to provide a venue for learning for students. With a dirty, untidy environment, however, learning can become more challenging. Indeed, it’s difficult to focus if you’re surrounded by mess.
In addition, it’s not only students who will be affected; teachers may also find it difficult to perform their roles if their work environment is less than optimal. Besides, as an employer, you’re obligated to provide a safe and healthy workplace to your employees.
To provide a conducive environment for both learning and teaching, it’s a good idea to hire professional school cleaners to conduct regular daily cleaning and occasional deep-cleaning as needed. This way, students and teachers can focus on what they need to do.
As a bonus, a clean environment also provides learning opportunities outside the classroom. In particular, it can teach values such as cleanliness, discipline, and love for nature.
It Prevents Outbreaks and Other Illnesses
As what COVID-19 and various disease outbreaks through the years have shown us, schools are a prime setting for the spread of disease. The reason is easy to see: with students, teachers, and other school personnel in constant close contact, often in enclosed spaces, germs can spread faster and more effectively.
What’s worse is that there are microorganisms that can survive on surfaces for about 2 to 4 hours. In a school, where there are multiple shared surfaces like desks and cafeteria tables, this is bad news indeed.
With regular school cleaning, you can prevent or at least minimise the risk of disease outbreaks. Even better, a clean and hygienic environment can make it easier to reinforce health habits like proper hand-washing. This further reduces the possibility of spreading and contracting illnesses at school.
Keeping the school clean at all times can also reduce the incidences of allergic reactions. It’s incredibly easy for allergens like dust, dust mites, mould, and pollen to accumulate in schools; if you don’t have the premises thoroughly swept, vacuumed, and wiped down, you may have daily cases of students and personnel having runny noses and itchy skin.
It Minimises the Number of Employee Sick Days
Students are especially vulnerable to getting sick, particularly those under 7 to 8 years old, because their immune systems aren’t fully developed yet. That said, teachers and staff can also get sick from a dirty school environment.
If this happens often enough, it can lead to a variety of unfavourable scenarios. For one, students’ learning can be set back. Some school needs, such as administrative tasks, may also pile up and create more work.
When more employees take sick days, it also entails additional costs for the school to look for substitute teachers and temporary staff members. It may also ramp up hiring costs in general because—let’s be honest—no one likes to work in an environment where there’s a high risk of getting sick.
All of these simply mean that a clean school is good for productivity, because everyone will be healthier and can focus on doing their jobs well. This results in cost savings, particularly when it comes to recruitment.
It Promotes Mental Wellbeing
When your surroundings are dirty and disorganised, it’s easy to get distracted. For students and teachers, this is not an ideal situation. It may result not just in poor academic performance, but also a decline in mental wellbeing—which can then further affect someone’s capability to learn and teach. A cluttered school environment may also aggravate mood disorders.
Simply put, if you want to promote the holistic health of everyone in the school, you should invest in regular school cleaning services.
It Cultivates a Positive Reputation
Last but certainly not least, ensuring that your school is clean is a great way to cultivate its positive reputation. Remember that, for many, the school is a second home. To cultivate a home-like environment that makes students and teachers more passionate for learning, cleanliness is a crucial element.
This, in turn, can influence how people see your school: a caring institution that prioritises both academic performance and wellness. For those who study and work there, school spirit and loyalty will always be high. For those who don’t study or work there, it will be viewed as an aspirational school.
All in all, there’s nothing to lose when you invest in regular school cleaning. Make sure to work with professionals, so that you can get the most value for money and ensure that the level of cleanliness in your school is always top-notch.