About SSHE and WASH in Schools

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in schools, or, as it used to be called: School Sanitation and Hygiene Education (SSHE) focuses on the responsibility to provide children with an effective and healthy learning environment. It includes the provision of facilities that children need for sanitation, hand-washing and water supply and the support to children to develop skills, attitudes and knowledge on effective hygiene. At the same time, children can communicate their new behaviours and skills to their homes and communities and use it in future when they have become parents themselves.

Why does SSHE really matter?

Globally some 1.1 billion people are currently without access to improved water supply and about 2.4 billion don't benefit from any form of improved sanitation services (WHO, 2000). The majority of these people live in Asia and Africa. In Africa, for example, two out of five people lack improved water supply.

The provision of safe water and sanitation facilities in schools is a first step towards a healthy physical learning environment, benefiting both learning and health (Ad 1). However, the mere provision of facilities does not necessarily make them sustainable or produce the desired impact. It is the use of latrines and the related appropriate hygiene behaviour of people that provides health benefits. In schools, hygiene education aims to promote those practices that will help to prevent water and sanitation-related diseases as well as encouraging healthy behaviour in the future generation of adults.

Read more: Thematic Overview Paper (TOP) on school sanitation and hygiene education by Marielle Snel of IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre (2003).

Framework for school sanitation and hygiene education

Investing in school sanitation and hygiene education has many benefits. It is in essence an investment in the future, which:

• Promotes effective learning: Children perform better when they function in a hygienic and clean environment.
• Increases enrolment of girls: The lack of private sanitary facilities for girls can discourage parents from sending girls to school and contributes to the drop-out of girls, particularly at puberty.
• Reduces incidences of disease and worm infections: If school sanitation and hygiene facilities are absent, or are badly maintained and used, schools can become a health hazard.
• Promotes environmental cleanliness: The presence and the proper use of facilities will prevent pollution of the environment and limit health hazards for the community at large.
• Implements children's rights: Children have the right to be as healthy and happy as possible. Being clean, healthy and having clean water and proper sanitation facilities contribute to a happy childhood.

The framework for school sanitation and hygiene education will, of course, change depending on the situation. However, an effective SSHE programme will include the following key components:

A healthy physical environment

• Keeping the compound and classrooms clean and free of waste and faecal matter
• Providing toilets that are designed for children (boys and girls)
• Providing convenient handwashing facilities
• Providing not only sufficient safe drinking water, but also sufficient water for handwashing
• Providing classrooms that are well ventilated, provide enough light for studying and have appropriate furniture (e.g. chairs and tables) for the students

Active and organised children

• Clean and convenient use of facilities by all children and teachers
• Consistent and organised cleaning and maintenance of toilets, handwashing and drinking water facilities by all children
• Roles for older children to help and monitor younger children in using facilities and maintaining school cleanliness

Trained and committed school personnel

• Head teacher and key teachers have been trained/oriented
• Learning in the classroom which is relevant and strives to be child-centred
• Educators make and carry out a plan for organising children in use, monitoring and maintenance of facilities and in personal hygiene
• Planned programme exists for hygiene education involving, for example, school health clubs

Links to home and community

• Key health and hygiene information and behaviours flow to the home
• Children and school are good examples and enter the community for special activities related to health and hygiene
• Families and community provide finance and other support for maintenance and repair of school facilities