Ho Chi Minh City orders schools to clean toilets multiple times daily under new hygiene rules

Under guidance released on Wednesday by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, toilets at preschools, elementary schools, and secondary schools must be cleaned at least four times daily.

High schools and vocational education centers are required to carry out cleaning at least three times a day.

The department said schools must ensure toilets are sufficient in number and meet basic standards, including being clean, dry, well-ventilated, and free of odors and insects.

Facilities must be equipped with clean water, hand soap, toilet paper, and covered trash bins, according to the document.

Schools are also required to keep logbooks tracking cleaning activities, conduct regular maintenance, and promptly repair damaged equipment or address blockages and leaks.

Each semester, schools must survey students’ feedback on sanitation conditions and take corrective measures if problems are identified.

Stricter rules for school meal services

The guidance also tightens oversight of school meal services.

In addition to existing rules on food safety, sourcing and kitchen procedures, schools were warned not to reuse cooking oil multiple times or mix old oil with new oil to reduce costs.

Oil showing unusual odors, color changes, foaming or excessive residue after frying must be discarded.

Single-use foam containers, disposable plastic items, and recycled packaging of unclear origin are restricted or banned from student meals, the department said.

School principals will bear full responsibility for compliance with the new requirements.

Ho Chi Minh City has nearly 2.6 million students across more than 3,500 schools, according to VnExpress.

At a conference on preparations for the new academic year in August 2025, Nguyen Van Hieu, director of the city’s education department, said many school toilets remained in poor conditions, discouraging students from using them.

“When students are afraid to enter a toilet, the principal has failed to fulfill their duties,” VnExpress quoted Hieu as saying at the time.

“This may seem like a small issue, but it directly affects the quality of education.”