The Importance of Hygiene
Why Hygiene, Sanitation and Water in Schools?
Worldwide, an estimated 72 percent of primary school-aged children attend school which means that more children are going to school than ever before in history. The United Nations'Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015 and other initiatives that aim for Education for All, have achieved that significant efforts are being made to make more resources available to increase access to education.
Providing quality education also implies the provision of an enabling learning environment in which children can perform to the best of their ability. Nonetheless, in most developing countries, the sanitary and hygienic conditions at schools are appalling, characterized by the absence of properly functioning water supply, sanitation, and hand washing facilities (figure 1). In many cases, toilets are heavily used and filthy; in other cases, the toilets, water supply, and hand washing facilities are spotlessly clean but are not used and are even locked because water is unavailable, because separate facilities for teachers are not provided, or because children are not trusted to use the facilities properly. In such an environment, children must resort to open defecation around or even at the school compound. Figure 1. Typical Condition of a School Toilet in Central Asia | | | Source: UNICEF Central Asia, 2000 |
Because children spend a significant amount of time in and around their schools, such situations have a major impact on their wellbeing. The lack of appropriate facilities may discourage children from attending school; Girls who are menstruating, in particular, would rather not go to school than have to deal with such a lack of privacy, and with appropriate HSW facilities, gender can be addressed. Also, when a school lacks access to a basic water supply and sanitation facilities and its students have poor hygiene habits, the incidence of major childhood illnesses among its students will increase. This will
Worldwide, an estimated 72 percent of primary school-aged children attend school which means that more children are going to school than ever before in history. The United Nations'Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015 and other initiatives that aim for Education for All, have achieved that significant efforts are being made to make more resources available to increase access to education.
Providing quality education also implies the provision of an enabling learning environment in which children can perform to the best of their ability. Nonetheless, in most developing countries, the sanitary and hygienic conditions at schools are appalling, characterized by the absence of properly functioning water supply, sanitation, and hand washing facilities (figure 1). In many cases, toilets are heavily used and filthy; in other cases, the toilets, water supply, and hand washing facilities are spotlessly clean but are not used and are even locked because water is unavailable, because separate facilities for teachers are not provided, or because children are not trusted to use the facilities properly. In such an environment, children must resort to open defecation around or even at the school compound. Figure 1. Typical Condition of a School Toilet in Central Asia | | | Source: UNICEF Central Asia, 2000 |
Because children spend a significant amount of time in and around their schools, such situations have a major impact on their wellbeing. The lack of appropriate facilities may discourage children from attending school; Girls who are menstruating, in particular, would rather not go to school than have to deal with such a lack of privacy, and with appropriate HSW facilities, gender can be addressed. Also, when a school lacks access to a basic water supply and sanitation facilities and its students have poor hygiene habits, the incidence of major childhood illnesses among its students will increase. This will