“WASH in All Schools:

South Asia Regional Conference on “WASH in All Schools:

by sagarmedia on April 25, 2012 “Wash in all Schools: Making it a Reality”
A four -day workshop is being organized from April 24 – 27, 2012, in Delhi. The conference inaugurated by Shri. Jairam Ramesh, Rural Development Minister  on April 25. The conference will bring together WASH-in-Schools practitioners from all the SARCC countries in South Asia, to discuss issues on WASH, create awareness and understanding of key approaches and lessons learnt. Using case studies from the field and ongoing research, participants will discuss how to most efficiently and effectively improve the use of safe and sustainable drinking water, clean sanitation facilities and hygiene in schools, while addressing the specific needs of children from all social and economic groups.School water supply, sanitation and hygiene education have a profound impact on the learning and health of children, especially for girls. It is directly related not only to physical, mental and social health, but ultimately to economic and political development.

 Despite progress in recent years resulting from the efforts of many stakeholders, including governments, development agencies and communities, too many schools still remain without safe drinking water, appropriate sanitation facilities and the hygiene education. Girls remain particularly vulnerable to dropping out of school partly because many are reluctant to continue their schooling when toilet and washing facilities are either not safe or not available at all.
 Shri Jairam Ramesh, Minister for Rural Development created a collaborative attempt to provide a roadmap for creating a new culture of consciousness and promoting WASH in Schools as a critical component of institutional framework of schools. It provides an ideal platform for exchange of global and national perspectives of WASH in Schools and a stock-taking of the South Asia region, highlighting the growth, gains and gaps in these countries.
David McLoughlin UNICEF India Representative a.i., said this workshop comes at a crucial moment with the recent ruling of the Supreme Court of India to all State governments to provide water and toilet facilities in all schools. Also the Right to Education Act, 2010 demonstrates the strong commitment towards WASH in Schools to enable a clean and healthy learning environment for the children.

With the passing of the Right to Education Act (RTE) Act in 2009 and the recent Supreme Court Orderto all states to provide safe drinking water and separate toilet facilities for girls in all schools, India provides a very relevant context to understand the importance of WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in Schools. The RTE provides the legal framework for quality education in India, and mandates minimum norms and standards of school WASH infrastructure.