Students of The Ursuline Academy Ilford have expressed their dismay towards the continuous neglect of unwashed dishes and cutlery. As captured in the images, these dishes have piled up in the sink of the sixth form block’s shared kitchen. The matter has been addressed and discussed multiple times. Yet still, currently unidentified protagonists continue to leave their mess with the expectation that it will be cleared eventually. The all too regular occurrence, which was first identified in September, has raised the question as to whether there is a case of lack of common decency or absence of mutual respect.
This reoccurring annoyance and disrespect has angered and appalled students of the sixth form with Year 12 student, Tahiya responding ‘It makes me angry because people can’t even follow simple instructions’ while fellow student Rebecca said ‘It’s disgraceful 16-19 year olds can’t clean up after themselves, it’s just basic etiquette’, a point of view explicitly linking the actions of the protagonists to a lack of use of instinctual decorum.
While some have expressed this initial confusion regarding the lack of desire to clean up after yourself, others such as Year 13 student, Simran have, vocalised that ‘Everyone complains that the kitchen is always a mess but no one does anything to improve it’ raising the question of reciprocal courtesy and the importance of working together to improve and permanently rectify the issue.
Not only have a minority of students failed to ‘use resources RESPECTIVELY’ as instructed by the pictured sign, but they have also missed a far more potent message, displays such as those in the image show that ‘we lack respect’ as professed by Rebecca. This is essentially detrimental to the harmonious existence of any community and contradicts the core values on which Ursuline were built, Serviam, meaning ‘I will serve’ and to do so attitudes need to change.
Serena Roberts Lawson
