Hugh Reilly: OK, jannies, it's time to think – and work – outside the box

RIGHTLY or wrongly (in my experience, it is the former), janitorial staff have a reputation for being a tad lazy. Let's put it this way – the claim made by scientists that the slowest-moving mammal is the three-toed sloth is undercut by studying the work-shy habits of the ten-toed school caretaker.

Most secondary schools have two or three janitors. Like sheep, janitors are a species that like to flock, thus it is very rare to spot a single jannie. When looking to find a janitor, the best place to find one is in the quaintly named "janitors' b...