Equity in School Water and Sanitation

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EQUITY IN SCHOOL WATER AND SANITATIONis how the behaviours which they feel free to exhibitin school might be extended outside of school.6.2 RecommendationsThe overall purpose of this study was to:raise awareness both atGovernment and practitioner levelsof the part that issues related towater and sanitation play inchildren’s exclusion from anddiscrimination within education,and to suggest actions which needto be taken at the level of policyand practice which would help toredress this situation.The findings fall into three main areas:That there need to be sufficient, wellmaintainedfacilities to ensure equity for allstudentsThat there are particular issues of inclusion andnon-discrimination which need to be addressedThat there need to be procedures in place tofacilitate the transfer of good practice learnt inschools to the community.All three of these issues need to be addressed:At the level of national policyBy those involved in implementationAt school level.This study is a regional one and recognizes thatindividual countries differ, hence the specific waysin which they will seek to find ways of improvingtheir practice in regard to these issues will alsodiffer. What follows below is a series of questionswhich need to be addressed by policy makers, bythose involved in implementation (managers,supervisors and trainers), and by those workingat the level of schools. These questions aregrouped under the three headings of facilities, nondiscriminationand transfer of good practice fromschool to community. Each set of questions isfollowed by suggested requirements foraddressing the questions.6.2.1 Sufficiency and maintenance offacilitiesCountry reports showed enormous variation inboth sufficiency and maintenance of facilities. Inone instance in Nepal there appeared to be acontradiction between the community, which heldtraditional beliefs that toilets should not be withinor near living spaces, and the actual siting of toilets.In many instances there appeared to be confusionas to who was responsible for maintenance offacilities. Many of the good practice schools werein areas which had benefited from specific Waterand Sanitation in Schools projects. While severalof these were excellent there is always a concernas to how sustainable this practice will be afterthe project comes to an end and also whether thegood practice in the project could be replicated inother schools.Similar variation occurred in terms of thecleanliness of facilities. While some school toiletswere found to be impressively clean, many otherswere described as ‘filthy’ and ‘unusable’. Much ofthe cleaning was carried out by children. Whilethere were instances of discrimination andexploitation, all countries also had innovativeexamples of ensuring that children felt a sense ofresponsibility and pride in keeping facilities clean,for example Child Clubs in Nepal and competitionsbeing arranged between children in Bhutan.Schools which exhibited good practice showedteachers playing an active role in supportingchildren in carrying out cleaning duties.Questions which need to be addressedFor policy makers:What policies are there on standards and‘sufficiency’ in relation to water and sanitationfacilities in schools?Which documents contain reference to the factthat sufficient water and sanitation facilities inschools are an essential part of an inclusiveschool?Which government department has explicitresponsibility for this area?How is coordination between those involvedwith water and sanitation and those involved ineducation organized?40
Overcoming Exclusion and Discrimination in South AsiaIndia Country ReportWhat do policies and regulations state aboutwho is responsible for the maintenance of thesefacilities?What procedures are in place to show howthese policies will be implemented at schoollevel?Where do schools get funds for maintenancefrom?Is there a maintenance grant given to schools?What are the national standards on schoolcleanliness and what are the systems formonitoring these?What do policies and regulations say aboutcleaning toilets and about the involvement ofchildren in cleaning in ways which are notexploitative of them?For managers, supervisors and trainers:How do you consult with community and schoolmembers, including children, on where they feeltoilets should be sited?How do you ensure that good practicedeveloped in specific projects is shared andused for influencing policy and strategy, andthat it feeds into wider coverage?In what ways do you work with people incommunities and with children and teachers inschools to work out how they might best ensurethat facilities are well looked after?How do you ensure that the involvement ofchildren in cleaning duties is organized in wayswhich are not exploitative of them and whichare not detrimental to their learning?At school level (teachers, pupils and parents): Who should you approach if you feel your waterand sanitation facilities are inadequate? Who is responsible for maintenance of thesefacilities? Who is responsible for ensuring that schoolfacilities are regularly cleaned? Is sufficient equipment provided, for examplecleaning equipment for toilets and also soapand towels for children? If children are involved in cleaning duties howcan you help to ensure that this is not done inan exploitative way? Are cleaning duties shared out equitablybetween all children without discrimination orfavouritism, and if not how might this beimproved? How do teachers actively support children incleaning? How can you help to create an ethos of prideand responsibility in which all members of theschool feel they have an active role to play inensuring that facilities are kept clean? Who monitors cleanliness of facilities?Requirements for addressing these questionsFor policy makers:Education policies which state internationallyor regionally laid down standards for the ratioof water and sanitation facilities per number ofchildren which should be provided and who isresponsible for maintenance and overallmonitoring of facilitiesClose collaboration at all levels betweenEducation and Water and SanitationDepartments and officialsClear procedures which spell out howmaintenance will be implemented and whichwill ensure that schools have sufficientresources to undertake ongoing maintenanceand cleaning of facilitiesFor managers, supervisors and trainers:Discussing with community members, childrenand parents to ensure there is a common visionand agreement on what is required when newwater and sanitation facilities are proposedCollaborating with local government officialsand school/community members to ensuresystems are in place which will enable facilitiesto be regularly maintained and kept clean andusable even after specific projects come to anendNegotiating with government officials toestablish procedures for sharing good practiceand mainstreaming successful projectsAt school level (teachers, pupils and parents): Agreed school policies on who is responsiblefor cleaning facilities Adequate provision of hardware such ascleaning materials, soap, etc.41
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Cover Photo: © UNICEF/India/Sanjay
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