The majority of teachers have witnessed children arriving at school in dirty clothes, with unwashed hair and unbrushed teeth over the past year, and they expect the situation to worsen, a survey has suggested. Four in five (80%) school staff believe there has been an increase in “hygiene poverty” issues in their school in the last year, with a third of them stating the rise has been “significant”, according to a poll of 500 school staff in the UK who interact with pupils at least five days per week.
The survey indicates that nearly three in 10 (28%) have seen children repeatedly miss school due to hygiene poverty. More than three in five (62%) have observed pupils with dirty uniforms or PE kits, while 60% have noted unwashed hair and unclean teeth. The poll, conducted by Censuswide in September, reveals that pupils affected by hygiene poverty have faced low self-esteem, bullying, and isolation.
A significant number of school staff (63%) anticipate that hygiene poverty levels will escalate in the upcoming year. School staff have taken personal actions like washing pupils’ uniforms and buying soap, toiletries, and laundry detergent for families in need. On average, staff spent about £27 out of their own pockets in the last year on hygiene poverty support for pupils.
The charity The Hygiene Bank and cleaning brand smol conducted the survey and have launched a Clean Up Child Hygiene Poverty campaign. The campaign urges the government to address the issue in its upcoming Child Poverty Strategy. Supported by the NASUWT teaching union, the campaign encourages the public to write to their local MP to raise awareness of child hygiene poverty.
Estimates from The Hygiene Bank and smol suggest that UK school staff spent around £40 million of their own money supporting pupils with hygiene poverty issues in the past year. Ruth Brock, chief executive at The Hygiene Bank, expressed concern about children missing out on education due to hygiene poverty and called for urgent action from the government.
Patrick Roach, general secretary of NASUWT, emphasized that no child should endure the shame of attending school in dirty clothes due to financial constraints. Hilary Strong, the Suds in Schools initiative lead at smol, highlighted the importance of maintaining children’s hygiene for their wellbeing and learning. Strong called for greater governmental support to combat child hygiene poverty effectively.