School Caretaking Vital Task

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29890, 2 August 1962, Page 11

School Caretaking Vital Task

Because the North Canterbury Headmasters' Association is jealous of the standard of cleanliness in schools, the heal.h of children, and the maintenance of civic pride, it has published a report urging that standards of caretaking should be kept h.gh It claims that the basis of employment could be improved and this would attrac caretakers of high calbre.

“At present, tn mos: schools, there is too much work for the time allowed.” the report says "As a result certain aspects of cleaning, etc., inevitably end to become neglected” The same oas.s of employment is applied to all primary. intermediate, and d.strict high schools <so many hours for so many rooms' with low appreciable cons.deration tor the wide variations in schools Cider-type rooms with worn floors. drab walls, high ceilings and tall windows ‘ake longer to clean than do the modern rooms Heating arrangements. a vital factor in the winter months, vary from m idem oil-burning furnaces electrically operated to open flies or multiple units <lB in some schools) which take up a large proportion of the carmaker's *ime. the report says

Some schools are compact while others are scattered involving much loss of time

and energy m travelling from room to room collecting rubbish and transporting cleaning materials and fuel for fires

Obsolete toilet facilities as exist in some schools add to the caretaker's burden and take additional time and effort to maintain in clean condition

In older-type schools with multiple firing units a caretaker must s'art work at. say. 6 a.m to have the rooms warm by 9 o’clock Compensation for this is provided for by time off during the day, and shift allowance is paid. No allowance, however, is made for the fatigue element which ultimately develops because the greater portion of the caretaker's work must be done after 3 p.m when fatigue is at its highest. In a 17-room school with 40 hours a week allowed for the caretaker and 11 hours a week for the cleaner at 20 minutes a room, the cleaner can look afer six rooms leaving 11 for the caretaker, plus fires to be cleaned out and relaid On this basis it would be 6 p.m before a start could be made on the fires “To overcome this problem it is apparent that extra cleaning assistance is necessary during the winter months to enable the caretaker to finish at a reasonable time,” the report says.

The association suggests:— (I) Change the present basis of so many hours for so many rooms to make allowance for the variation in the types of schools to be serviced, and to provide more generous basis of time for each room.

(2) Make provision for a certain proportion of the caretaker's time to be devoted to the care of grounds and environment. <3> See that remuneration is competiiive with other avenues of employment in order to attract men of the required calibre; or give consideration to the advice given by Mr C. Thomas, secretary of the Christchurch Cleaners. Caretakers.' and Lift Attendant’ Union of Workers, who suggests abolishing the present award rates now fixed and substituting payment of public service rates and a reduction tn the maximum number of rooms to be serviced to 10 or even less in some schools. <4> To assist with cleaning of rooms consideration should be given to tapping the vast potential labour force of married women who would be prepared to do one or two hours’ cleaning work between the hours of 3 and 5 p.m. to sunnlement family budgets. The Canterbury School Committees’ Association will be asked to comment on the report