Australia's Science Forum

Hi y'all,
Our cleaners are supposed to maintain the floors, sinks, desks and windows and I maintain the equipment. Because ours is a new school my boss likes to have the labs maintained at a high standard all the time so I often clean desks, benches, sinks and windows AND maintain the equipment. I don't mind, except when everyone wants pracs, so often I go home with very tired feet!
I found it interesting that Pommy says the students are allowed to bring their bags into the labs at her school albeit to place in a cupboard. We insist that school bags are left outside school rooms for two reasons. One being the deterrent of bringing food and inappropriate stuff into the class and secondly for OH & S purposes, ie in case of an emergency the students can exit the room without tripping over bags.
How do others manage this?
Cheers and beers,
Lou P.

Hi Louise,

Our policy is that bags are left outside the labs and valuables like wallets, phones and ipods are brought in. However, last week three bags "disappeared". One was later found, minus the wallet, phone and ipod.

So now bags are allowed inside the labs but only in a specified area.
In some labs we emptied cupboards and removed the doors and all bags are now kept in these cupboards. (We have plenty of cupboard space in the Science Dept. unlike many schools!)

We now have signs in every corridor "Stop! Be responsible! Always keep your valuables with you." Making the signs, with appropriate clipart, of course, was the job of the labbie!

Robbie

Our cleaning is also a shared responsibility. We have 7 labs which makes keeping them clean and tidy a very big job.

The cleaners are very good, each day they do the floors,benchtops and clean out the sinks. The clean around any equipment that is left set up.

I have 30 glass beakers, 30 test tubes, 20 plastic beakers and class sets of other frequently used equipment in cupboards in each lab. It is the teachers responsibitily to try and get the kids to wash their beakers, test tubes etc after a prac and put them back where they live.

Each thursday afternoon (the only time I have any help) Robyn and I go round to each lab, checking the gear and washing any really dirty stuff. Some I tend to leave to try and get the teachers to chase the kids up. I feel that packing up properly after themselves is also part of their education. Some teachers are better than others. Luckily the worst one is just next door so chasing him up about getting the kids (and him!!) to clean up after themselves isn't too time consuming.

Bags are also left outside the room to try and minimise "loss" and also there isnt space inside the class rooms for them.

Equipment in trays that is required for future pracs is moved into the adjoining prep rooms after the lesson and taken back to the room when it is needed again.

Wendy

P.S An interesting observation of the state of some of our schools. My prep room is on the ground floor of a 2 story building. Today it is raining (WHOO HOO) but MY CEILING IS LEAKING!!!!! Water is coming down through the class room above and into my room!

Mostly the classes clean up after themselves. I have a tray for things that they can't get clean in their sinks that I then wash up in the prep room. Sometimes glassware gets left out and I'll put it away but if I am really busy usually someone from another class ends up putting it away anyway! The cleaners do the benches, tables, floors (anything not equipment). It isn't their job to clean up after the kids. As for bags, our kids aren't allowed to take bags to any classes. They have a place to put them at the beginning of the day and then they take their books for their classes before morning tea with them... and then same for between morning tea and lunch and then for the rest of school. Mobile phones etc are not allowed on school grounds unless there is a special reason (in which case they are handed in at the school office at the start of the day and collected at the end). Kids are encouraged not to bring valuables to school so theft isn't much of an issue here.
Rosalie

We can not leave the students bags outside, due to thief from other students. As they come into the classroom, they must put their bags into a cupboard, of course taking out their equipment for Science, pens books etc.
We also do not allow Mobile phones, but some do get through of course.

Regards