The main challenges

SSHE is an integral package of school education systems on water, sanitation and hygiene and needs to be recognised and endorsed by all stakeholders. School sanitation in essence requires an inter-sectoral approach within national education, health, water and sanitation departments. Other actors such as NGOs, UN Agencies and the private sector could also play a role. Overall, the importance of SSHE needs to be recognised at all levels, but it certainly needs to be supported and advocated by national governments to ensure long-term sustainability.

SSHE inevitably faces a number of challenges from the social, political, institutional, technical and financial perspectives. Some of the issues are listed in Table 4. Please be aware that this list is not exhaustive; rather it provides a basis for making an inventory of the main challenges which may exist in a particular situation and which need to be focused on in future SSHE projects and programmes.

Table 4: Some of the main challenges in SSHE

Social and educational aspects

• Promoting a structured, child-centred curriculum for health and hygiene education appropriate to the child's developmental level, abilities and learning style;
• Placing high priority on the needs of children over the needs of other actors in the system;
• Equipping students to serve as agents of change within their families and community;
• Stimulating consideration of gender and other issues of social equity in all SSHE activities (e.g. religious and ethnic groups, etc.).

Institutional aspects

• Implementing a demand driven approach to reflect genuine interest by schools;
• Working with existing organisations such as the various ministries, NGOs, and others;
• Moving towards group 'ownership' of SSHE projects.

Political aspects

• Informing policy makers on SSHE and obtaining their support;
• Acknowledging local authorities/politicians who support better SSHE practices;
• Getting the child into the centre of development;
• Implementing policies which make safe water and sanitation facilities at schools and hygiene education compulsory;
• Involving all stakeholders in developing an inter-sectoral approach that includes the education, health, water and sanitation sectors.

Technical aspects

• Providing locally appropriate adequate hardware facilities;
• Developing design options and minimum standards;
• Establishing a programme with the collaboration of the schools and parent/teacher organisations so that construction, education and participation are linked.

Financial aspects

• Focusing on funding at the national and regional level. In securing funds specific activities include: advocacy; programme design for school water, sanitation and hygiene education and school health promotion; monitoring; evaluation; and inter-agency co-ordination;
• Mobilising financial support for;
• Construction and installation of the facilities and their maintenance;
• Enhancing teachers' capabilities and production of teaching materials.