Accra, May 15, GNA- All new school projects in Ghana are to be fully equipped with water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) facilities to improve WASH conditions in the schools and provide enhanced learning and teaching environments.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, who made the announcement, said the government was committed to ensuring that “every child learns in a safe and hygienic environment.”
He added: “No new school infrastructure project will be undertaken without the full provision of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.
“In collaboration with all the relevant ministries, agencies, MMDAs and development partners such as World Vision Ghana, government will continue working to ensure that every school has access to clean drinking water, decent toilet facilities and proper hygiene services.”
Mr Iddrisu gave the assurance, in Accra, in a speech read on his behalf by his deputy Dr Clement Apaak, at the WASH in School Policy Dialogue and the official launch of the Sixth Sanitation Diplomat’s One Year Project for Improved Sanitation in Ghana.
The dialogue, on the theme: “WASH in Schools: A Pre-requisite for Academic Excellence”, was jointly organised by the child focused non-government relief organisation World Vision Ghana (WVG) and other partners as the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Ministry of Works. Housing and Water Resources, the Zoomlion Foundation and Kings Hall Media.
Other partners were the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, the GAMA Sanitation and Water Project.
Mr Iddrisu noted that a conducive learning environment went beyond classrooms, textbooks, laptops and qualified teachers to include access to clean drinking water, decent toilet facilities and proper hygiene services
However, many schools across the country, especially Basic Schools, continue to face serious WASH challenges, a situation which affects the health of learners, their dignity, attendance and academic performance.
He referred to the 2020 Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) report, which he said reported that,”25 per cent of public Basic Schools in Ghana do not have access to safe drinking water, while 26 per cent lack improved toilet facilities.”
“More troubling is the fact that some schools do not have access to urinal facilities,” the Minister noted, adding, that “private schools are also affected. “
The report, he said, indicated that 11 per cent of private Basic Schools lack safe drinking water on their premises, while 17 per cent do not have adequate toilet facilities.
“Altogether, this affects more than 1.5 million pupils in public schools and over 314,000 pupils in private schools. “
The Education Minister stressed the need for an effective collaboration among the government, benevolent organisations and well-meaning individuals to support the current Child Sanitation Diplomat Master Artaldus Sung Kuuntaanaa, and his sanitation campaign as he mobilised young people to take active interest in environmental sanitation and sustainable community solutions.
Master Kuuntanaa, unveiling his plan, appealed to the government and all stakeholders in the education sector to ensure that every school, from pre-school to tertiary, is provided with WASH facilities
“Please, stop building new schools without toilets,’ he urged.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
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