Calcutta: Cleaner toilets and gates for privacy top a Class IV student's wish list when asked what he would do if he were the principal of the school.

The note posted on Facebook by the boy's mother has initiated a conversation among parents, both on Facebook and off it, about unclean and unhygienic toilets in city schools that make most children averse to using them.

"If I were a principal I would have made the toilet more cleaner and attached gates for some privacy," the student of a south Calcutta school wrote.

The school's first reaction on Facebook: "Noted."

Most schools in the city have been accused of not keeping toilets clean and dry.

Children have also complained of doors that don't shut properly and bolts that are loose or faulty. In one school, a girl said students have a friend stand guard outside the washroom if they have to go.

Doctors in the city said schoolchildren often contract infections either from using unclean toilets or not using one for long stretches of time.

"A couple of months ago, my daughter complained of severe pain followed by fever. Tests revealed urinary tract infection. She was not using any other toilet apart from the ones at home and school," said a father whose daughter is in Class I in a city school.

Several other parents said their children refrain from using the toilets during school hours because they are dirty. Students have compared school toilets to the ones at railway stations or the old airport.

"Sorry for the inconvenience. Shall look into the matter. Thanks for bringing this to notice," the school commented on the Facebook thread.

Paediatricians in the city said one of the reasons for urinary tract infection in children is withholding urine for long hours.

"Children who don't go because of smell and dirt and hold the urine for five or six hours are more prone to urinary tract infection," paediatrician B.K. Manocha said.

His advice: girls' schools should install Indian-style commodes to minimise contact.

The director of the Institute of Child Health, Apurba Ghosh, said unclean toilets could lead to other infections too. "There could be infection in the tummy if hands are not properly washed. Unhygienic conditions can lead to waterborne infections," said Ghosh, who said such complaints are common among schoolchildren.

"Infections are more common among primary and junior schoolchildren who are yet to learn personal hygiene," Ghosh said.

When contacted by Metro, the authorities of the school where the Class IV boy studies said the agency responsible for housekeeping has been pulled up.

"I have written to the owner of the agency to look into it and submit a report. We have also spoken to the housekeeping staff because we don't cut corners anywhere and so such complaints are unacceptable. Why should there be unclean toilets? I have gone through the print-outs of the Facebook comments and have told the housekeeping staff that there can be no compromise on cleanliness," a senior school official said.

The head of another city school said the washrooms are cleaned thoroughly thrice a day and with water every hour.

"There is a rush during the break after which washrooms are disinfected and cleaned thoroughly," said the head of another school.

Doctors said ideally toilet seats should be dry but that can rarely happen in a school because of the number of users.