Korean Parents Worry About Kids Facing Squat Toilets at School

The compiled statistics showed that many elementary schools in Korea still have ‘squat toilets,’ where students must crouch to do their business.

According to Daily Economy and the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 18th, the ‘Current State of Toilets in Seoul’s Elementary, Middle, and High Schools’ data, received from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education by Democratic Party Representative Ko Yong-jin of the National Assembly’s Planning and Finance Committee in June last year, showed that there are still 16,662 squat toilets in 1,307 elementary, middle, and high schools in Seoul.

Squat toilets are different from regular toilets in that you have to bend your body and knees to defecate. Since your buttocks cannot recline, your legs bear the weight and maintain a halfway standing position as if sitting on an invisible chair.

After using the squat toilet, you push the pump that flushes the water using your foot or other means.

As the elementary school enrollment approaches in March, some new parents are expressing concerns such as “I’m worried about my child using the toilet”, “I can’t believe squat toilets are still used in schools”, and “I think my child will find it strange”.

The proportion of squat toilets was highest in middle schools, followed by elementary schools and high schools.

Furthermore, it showed that squat toilets were mostly common in elementary schools in Jongno-gu, Seoul. For middle schools, it was in Seongdong-gu, Seoul.

In Gyeonggi Province, a staggering 75% of schools, totaling 1,896 locations, were found to have squat toilets installed.

However, many netizens support squat toilets. They expressed various opinions such as “It’s more hygienic as you don’t have to touch the toilet when defecating”, “It could actually be more comfortable once you get rid of the aversion”, and “Children need to increase their experiences in various situations”.