A growing number of parents are voicing concerns about the dire state of school toilets across the UK, with a new poll revealing that nearly one in three have raised complaints with school staff. The findings, published by the charity Parentkind, paint a grim picture of school bathroom conditions, prompting urgent calls for the government to address the issue.
According to the Censuswide survey of 2,000 parents with school-aged children, around 17% reported that the toilets in their child’s school were dirty, while 11% said their children had missed school or wanted to stay home due to anxiety about using the bathrooms.
Disturbing firsthand accounts from parents highlighted just how bad the conditions can be. Some described toilets so filthy that students likened them to scenes from horror films. Others recounted reports of cockroaches, urine-soaked floors, and faeces left unflushed—conditions that are not only unhygienic but also harmful to children’s health and dignity.
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The poll also uncovered the harmful impact such conditions are having on students. Several parents said their children had suffered constipation or had accidents at school because they tried to avoid using the toilets. In some cases, students deliberately skipped drinking water during the day to avoid needing the bathroom.
Jason Elsom, chief executive of Parentkind, stressed the urgency of the situation, saying, “Millions of children are suffering in silence because school toilets are simply not fit for purpose. No child should have to endure humiliation or discomfort due to such basic neglect. The government must act now to improve the cleanliness and condition of school toilets.”
His remarks come just days after Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged £2.3 billion annually to repair dilapidated school buildings and an additional £2.4 billion a year to rebuild 500 schools. Elsom urged the government to allocate part of those funds specifically to refurbish school bathrooms.
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) also expressed concern over the findings. General Secretary Pepe Di’lasio acknowledged that schools strive to maintain proper toilet facilities but pointed to years of chronic underfunding as a contributing factor. “Schools are doing their best with aging infrastructure that often demands constant maintenance. Without increased, sustained investment, issues like this will persist,” he said.
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A Department for Education spokesperson defended the government’s record, emphasizing recent increases in capital investment to restore the education estate. “We are committed to creating safe and high-quality learning environments,” the spokesperson said. “With over £1 billion added to capital funding annually since 2010, we are taking significant steps to rebuild and modernize school infrastructure.”
Still, for many parents and students, the impact of deteriorating toilet facilities is immediate and personal. The message from families is clear: children deserve clean, safe, and accessible toilets—and they deserve them now.
