School cleaners are often underappreciated for their efforts, clearing up after other people’s mess. It is time to honour them more; their recognition is overdue.

After a day packed of tiresome lessons, many school pupils are eager to rush back home. Once the bell has gone, they no longer need to be on the premises. Cleaners, however, are kept back to empty bins full of thrown-away lunches, clean desks that have pen markings on, and tidy classrooms that have chair sticking out – where some were too lazy to politely tuck under tables.

According to Adzuna, the average school cleaner salary is £14,809 which is 55.1% below the national average advertised salary of £32,969. In order to praise school cleaners more, we as a community can begin to increase the respect they deserve. What can you do? A simple ‘thank you’ is priceless. It does not require a lot from you, so next time you see a school cleaner scrubbing at floors or polishing windows, take a moment to applaud them on their work. Wouldn’t it be satisfying knowing you made someone’s day? Monique Soor, a student from Longfield, said that it is ‘so easy to just thank the cleaner when you walk past them. I don’t get why people can’t do it more often’.

Cleaners are actually at a high risk of damaging their health; the term ‘musculoskeletal disorder’ describes the most common form of work related ill health in Great Britain which is variety of strain, sprain, and overuse problems affecting the body’s muscles, joints and nerves. The back, neck, shoulders and upper limbs are particularly at risk.  Lauren Anderson, a pupil at DGGS, stated that ‘they actually do so much and I didn’t realise it until I started staying after school to do work. That’s when I saw all the things they do on a daily basis’.

A ridiculously outrageous attitude some people have towards cleaners demonstrate their sheer lack of respect. Throughout my time at secondary school, I have come across some awful expressions that other students say, usually after littering, such as ‘The cleaner can pick that up’ or ‘I’ll leave that for the cleaners to do’ when each time, the students were perfectly capable of clearing up after themselves. We can change this by encouraging those around us to hold onto their wrappers until they find a bin. We can aid cleaners’ jobs by ensuring rubbish goes inside the black bag before entering the actual bin, by weeping up any crumbs or pencil shavings, or by taking extra care when opening bottles – sticky drinks stained on surfaces can be misery.

“I think they deserve so much more credit to be honest,” expressed Faye Williams, a student at DGGS. Be courteous, be considerate and show your gratitude.