Background on UNICEF India SSHE project

Background information

A few figures:

• There are about 600,000 primary schools in rural India
• 1 in 10 schools has adequate toilets and urinals
• Safe water is available in only 1 of every 2 schools
• At present, there is no school sanitation programme in the country

Toilets and urinals are not considered a priority in India. Facilities are usually constructed at the initiative of the school teachers, the block or district administrations, or occasionally, at the behest of the households whose children attend the school. External support projects, such as the Primary Education Project and others, also include school sanitation elements, but none are exclusively dedicated to improve school hygiene practices.

Some of the specific activities in this programme will therefore include:

• Packaging approaches
• Methods, techniques and materials to be used by the school
• Adapting designs for school sanitation facilities
• Developing other school sanitation communication materials for teachers and students