THE stench was unbearable and he was about to throw up, but there was no choice, Wai Sen* plugged his nose and quickly made his way through the slippery floor to answer nature's call.

Lifting the lid off dirty loos Click on thumbnails below to view. Story continues after photos. (Photos: The Star/ANN)

The sharp stench of urine and faeces was enough to force the primary school boy to hurry things up.

"I always try to get my 'business' done as fast as I can because it is just too stinky in the toilet," says the 10-year-old boy.

For eight-year-old Gloria*, any thought of lingering in the school toilet longer than necessary is revolting.

"There are only two basins in the washroom and one is clogged because somebody vomitted in it recently, so we cannot even wash our hands," she laments.

As if that isn't bad enough, Gloria even found an empty fast food container in the toilet bowl. One just has to bring up the subject of dirty school toilets and chances are adults and children alike would have lots to say about them.

School toilets are where students can relieve themselves without having to wade through pockets of water or taking in the smells of urine, faeces and even vomit.

The cleanliness of toilets, in fact, is also a reflection of the school community, which many people overlook.

The current education system is so focused on our students achieving A's, that it tends to overlook other basic issues that are just as important like personal hygiene and toilet etiquette.

Based on the feedback StarEducation has gathered from school authorities, parents and students, there's still much to do to improve the appalling conditions of toilets in certain schools.