Dear friends,

UNICEF and WHO just just published: Progress on drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene in schools: 2000-2021 data update . Despite a steady decline in the proportion of schools without basic water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, deep inequalities persist between and within countries, Schoolchildren in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and fragile contexts are the most affected, and emerging data shows that few schools have disability-accessible WASH services.

The link above takes you to the report, and more facts and analysis can be found here:  https://www.who.int/news/item/23-06-2022-schools-ill-equipped-to-provide-healthy-and-inclusive-learning-environments-for-all-children---unicef--who

Regards,

Dave

This is an interesting article looking at the accessibility and inclusiveness of children in terms of WASH. The disability-accessible WASH Services, especially during disasters and public health emergencies are of utmost importance. Even after continous thrust on the inclusiveness of accessible WASH spaces in the past many years, the developing countries are still struggling to develop their schools in that manner. Connection between WASH facilities, nutrition and education of school children are of utmost importance and need an increased amount of attention.

Dear SuSanA Members
and Hari Prasad,

It's in order to have accessible features for differently  abled presons and others at Schools

Due regard to be given to Students of primary class to5, middle class to 8, Secondary cl 9 and above till +2. for general awareness on safety aspects, and hygiene and health Etc.

Certain practical on job training awareness need to be inculcated so that with
EVS studies in co-ed schools, these WASH, HSE aspects are also made aware to Students.

With well wishes to SuSanA Members, and others.

Prof Ajit Seshadri 

Adding key pointers/data from the report to bring more attention to this important report. They are extracted from the link  shared by Dave earlier

Schools play a critical role in promoting the formation of healthy habits and behaviours, yet many still lacked basic WASH services in 2021. Yet globally 

• 29 per cent of schools still lack basic drinking water services, impacting 546 million schoolchildren; 
• 28 per cent of schools still lack basic sanitation services, impacting 539 million schoolchildren; and 
• 42 per cent of schools still do not have basic hygiene services, impacting 802 million schoolchildren. 
• Achieving universal coverage in schools globally by 2030 requires a 14-fold increase in current rates of progress on basic drinking water, a three-fold increase in rates of progress on basic sanitation, and a five-fold increase in basic hygiene services.
  
• In LDCs and fragile contexts, achieving universal coverage of basic sanitation services in schools by 2030 would require over 100-fold and 50-fold increases in respective current rates of progress.
  

Improving pandemic preparedness and response will require more frequent monitoring of WASH and other elements of infection prevention and control (IPC) in schools, including cleaning, disinfection and solid waste management.

Providing disability-accessible WASH services in schools is key to achieving inclusive learning for all children. Still, only a limited number of countries report on this indicator and national definitions vary, and far fewer provide disability-accessible WASH. 

• Emerging national data shows that disability-accessible WASH coverage is low and varies widely between school levels and urban and rural locations, with schools more likely to have accessible drinking water than accessible sanitation or hygiene.
  
• In half the countries with data available, less than a quarter of schools had disability-accessible toilets. For example, in Yemen, 8 in 10 schools had toilets, but only 1 in 50 schools had disability-accessible toilets.
  
• In most countries with data, schools were more likely to have adapted infrastructure and materials – such as ramps, assistive technology, learning materials – than disability-accessible toilets. For example, in El Salvador, 2 in 5 schools have adapted infrastructure and materials, but just 1 in 20 have disability-accessible toilets.
  

Regards
paresh

Dear Researcher Ar. Paresh and others.
Schools play an important part in awareness and participation of programmes. 
These  practices go a long way in bringing about change in Societal attitude and change in behaviour for good of communities. 
Schools where mid day meals scheme exist or not need to have a vegetable farm with composting pits Et all.
School staff students and teachers need to become aware of waste categories segregation into 3 modes.
The 3 paths are bio matter, recyclables for ROI, earthly matter and 4th would be orange path bio medical route for safe handling and incinerate Etc
Each school has compost pits to make aware how food ie manure is evved for plants. 
School students and others need to become aware  the knowledge. 
Next practices is for students to bring bio waste in paper bags for school pits.
In this process they learn by doing..

Well wishes for communities 
Prof Ajit Seshadri 
The Vigyan Vijay Foundation