Equity in School Water and Sanitation

EQUITY IN SCHOOL WATER AND SANITATIONIn all countries, adolescent girls were seen to faceconsiderable disadvantage when they weremenstruating. The result was that a largeproportion of girls simply did not attend school forseveral days each month. While the lack ofsanitary facilities could not be directly linked withschool drop-out, it seems certain that theembarrassment experienced by the girls, and theirfalling behind with their studies as a result offrequent absence, will increase its likelihood.Findings on discrimination against children forissues related to water and sanitation were moremixed and varied both between countries andwithin individual countries. However, there certainlywere indications that some children were treatedless favourably than others. The ways in whichthis discrimination played itself out also varied, butit included situations where certain children weremade to carry out tasks such as cleaning toiletswhen others were not; certain children beingexcluded from privileges such as fetching waterfor the teacher; and, in many instances, certainchildren always sitting separately from others atthe back of the class. There were also clearindications that children who were discriminatedagainst in this way could be perceived by teachersas being less intellectually able and less committedto their studies.A clear message which emerged was that onecould not make simple assumptions as to preciselywhich groups of children were discriminatedagainst. In some instances, they were childrenfrom traditionally ‘untouchable’ castes, but not allDalits were treated in this way. In some instancesthey were children from minority ethnic groups,but some ethnic groups did not face this kind ofdiscrimination. In several cases they were thechildren who were perceived as always coming toschool less clean than others, often because theylived far away or because they came from familieswho might not have the facilities to enable themto keep clean. In all countries it appeared thatchildren from very poor families were more likelyto be ones who could face this kind ofdiscrimination.A positive message arising from the study wasthat both children and adults were aware thattraditional discriminatory attitudes were changing.While children in some schools expressed stronglytraditional views about whom they would sit nextto or eat with, several others were aware thatschool allowed them a place where they couldshare food and water with everyone and havemixed group friendships, although they did alsosay that they might not be able to extend thissituation to their home context.There were, however, indications in all countriesthat new elites could sometimes arise in this newcontext and play themselves out in the samedomain of cleanliness and uncleanliness. Severalinstances were given of teachers favouringchildren who were clean, neat, clever, richer andfrom more powerful families. It was acknowledgedthat these children might or might not come fromthe traditional elites.All country studies have examples of excellentpractice. Ways in which this practice has beencreated vary from country to country but commonelements include: Sufficient and well maintained facilities Clearly worked out systems of cleaning A positive relationship between school andcommunity so that good practice in one isreinforced by good practice in the other. Thereare many examples of children transferringgood hygiene practice they have learnt atschool to their families Children who are aware of the importance ofgood hygiene practices A strong ethos of inclusion in which all tasksand privileges are shared equally and childrenare automatically assumed to sit together andmix together regardless of social or economicdivisions.Thus, the study has showed the potential of schoolas an agency of change and indicates that this isan area which could definitely benefit from furtherattention.viii