Students vandalizing school toilets in Jūrmala – parents say issue not isolated

A social media discussion has emerged after a user described ongoing toilet vandalism at Aspazija Primary School in Jūrmala. According to the post, although the school building is relatively new, students have already damaged one of the restrooms — soiling urinals, floors and toilet bowls, and even standing on the toilets.

The original question — whether this is a widespread issue across Latvian schools or specific to this one — triggered numerous comments, with people sharing both personal experiences and possible solutions.

Proposed solutions

Some commenters suggested introducing student duty rosters for cleaning restrooms so those responsible for the mess would have to clean it themselves, while others proposed removing urinals and toilet lids altogether. One commenter referenced an approach used in the Netherlands, where school doors stay locked until those responsible clean up, creating peer pressure from classmates eager to go home.

Differing views on causes

Other comments pointed to parenting and upbringing, suggesting the issue stems from a generation raised with rights but no responsibilities, compounded by parents who are indifferent to their children's behavior. Several users confirmed similar problems in other schools — soiled soap dispensers, milk poured on floors, and graffiti on tiles — which have led some schools to introduce restroom monitoring duty and security cameras.

More unusual incidents were also described, including a bag of chips and soda poured into a urinal along with toilet paper. One parents' council reportedly discussed removing restroom doors entirely, citing a case at another Latvian school where this measure stopped the vandalism. Other parents mentioned toilet paper being scattered and doors being broken at their children's schools, concluding that without staff supervision, the problem is unlikely to improve.