The survey, of 500 school staff in the UK who had said they were aware of pupils experiencing hygiene poverty, suggests that 71% expect the levels of hygiene poverty to have increased by the start of the school year this month.
Dirty uniforms and PE kits, unwashed hair and unclean teeth were the most cited indicators of hygiene poverty by the staff questioned in June. The poll, carried out for charity The Hygiene Bank and cleaning brand smol, defines hygiene poverty as those who are ‘caught between being able to heat their home, pay their bills, buy food or keep clean’.
Some of the school staff reported personally washing uniforms and PE kits for children at home, and handing out laundry detergent for families in need. The survey, which was conducted by market research platform Attest, suggests that 72% of school staff said they had seen pupils affected by hygiene poverty experience low self-esteem.Meanwhile, 53% of school staff said these pupils were isolated or ‘left out’ by other pupils in class, and 50% said they had seen a negative impact on mental health for those experiencing hygiene poverty.One respondent said: ‘Students are often left with no desk partner in class.