The Ministry of Education is taking a proactive role in ensuring that children across the country have access to proper and healthy sanitation facilities and services.
Participants from various schools across the country gathered this morning to look at ways that can provide and improve healthy sanitary facilities for students.
The Ministry’s Curriculum Development Unit director Alumeci Tuisawau said that developing a minimum wash facility in schools is an important initiative.
“Providing quality education for our children is the way of pursuing the achievement of Millennium Development Goals four which is reducing child mortality and reducing the spread of other diseases”, Ms Tuisawau said
The Ministry says that there is a need to act now as a growing number of schools are being established around the country.
Consultant and WASH (Wash Sanitation and Hygiene) specialist Liliane Kente said that ensuring these standards are practiced is the ultimate goal behind the meet.
“There is a need of standards to be followed and effectively upgrade schools by improving the standards of facilities and ensuring good water supply in schools”, Ms Kente said.
A recent survey conducted by the Ministry reveals that out of the 793 schools in the country, most had proper sanitary facilities but lacked proper water supply, broken pipes and poor infrastructure.
To improve this standard, Ms Kente said that schools need to incorporate standard sanitation and hygienic practices.
The Education ministry is calling on heads of schools to include these standards in schools to ensure children have access to healthy and proper facilities.
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