M A I N   N E W S

Special to the tribune
Sit or squat, the big question on UK varsity campus
Shyam Bhatia in London

Indian and other Asian students, who are more used to 'squatting' toilets, are being offered a helping hand to adapt to the 'sitting system' more prevalent in the UK and other western nations.

Detailed posters with instructions have been put up at campus lavatories by Swansea University authorities with detailed diagrams of squatting and seated figures. The squatting figure with "no" has a red cross behind it, the seated figure with "yes" has a green tick beside it.

The first line of the poster starts with "Do please sit on the toilet appropriately to avoid mess". The second line says: "Do ensure that the used toilet roll is placed in the toilet and flushed away", followed by, "Do check to ensure the toilet has flushed properly and is clean for the next person to use. Four other sets of instructions continue, including advice on how to dispose of sanitary waste, and are followed by a picture of two hands under a tap with "wash me" written on them.

Some students have described the posters as ridiculous and belittling; others describe them as a joke. But university officials, who defend the decision to put up the posters, say it is because of "cultural differences" some foreign students use toilets in a different way in comparison to their British counterparts.

A university spokeswoman said: "The posters were produced to help address cultural differences that were unfortunately causing damage and hygiene issues. Swansea University is a multi-cultural campus community, and the informational posters were produced for use in both male and female facilities.”

“The information was produced in conjunction with the International College Wales Swansea and displayed in key areas around the campus. "Since the inception of these posters, the situation has greatly improved in the affected areas,” she added.

In a separate development, a London borough, home to thousands of Asian immigrant families, has disclosed plans to impose instant £80 (Rs 6,100) fine on anyone caught spitting on the street. Central government laws that made spitting a criminal offence were repealed in 1990 following expert advice that spitting no longer posed a significant TB health risk in the UK.

But a recent rise in TB figures and public outrage at what has been described as a "disgusting practice" has prompted the Labour controlled Enfield Council in North London to propose the spitting bylaw.

Chris Bond, an Enfield councillor, remarked, "Hopefully we can introduce the ban in the summer. Its antisocial behavior and we have had residents writing in to say it is disgusting. "If you have a child running around and they put their hand in it, that is really unhealthy. It used to be banned because of TB and TB is coming back."