Education Ministry pledges stronger WASH support for schools
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has reiterated its commitment to improving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools across the country to promote safe, healthy and dignified learning environments for pupils.
Speaking at the WASH in Schools Policy Dialogue and the launch of the 6th Child Sanitation Diplomat’s one-year project in Accra yesterday, the Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Abass Apaak, said quality education goes beyond classrooms, textbooks and teachers, and must also include access to clean water, decent toilet facilities and proper hygiene services.
The event, organised by World Vision Ghana and partners under the theme “WASH in Schools: A pre-requisite for Academic Excellence”, brought together stakeholders in the education and sanitation sectors.
Dr Apaak commended World Vision Ghana for its continued support to the education sector, particularly in infrastructure development, teaching and learning materials, and capacity-building programmes.
He noted that despite these interventions, many schools still face serious sanitation challenges that affect pupils’ health, dignity and academic performance.
Citing the 2020 Education Management Information System (EMIS) report, he revealed that about 25 per cent of public basic schools do not have access to safe drinking water, while 26 per cent lack improved toilet facilities.
He added that more than 1.5 million pupils in public schools and over 314,000 in private schools are affected.
Dr Apaak acknowledged that weak prioritisation and inadequate investment in the past had contributed to the challenges.
However, he assured that government, in collaboration with development partners, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), civil society organisations and the private sector, was working to address the situation.
He announced that sanitation would now form part of the key performance indicators for MMDAs, adding that increased funding support was expected to improve WASH infrastructure in schools.
He further stated that no new school infrastructure project would be approved without the inclusion of water and sanitation facilities.
Dr Apaak reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring that every child learns in a safe and hygienic environment.
He stressed that no child should be made to learn in conditions without safe water and proper sanitation.
He described the initiative as a strong example of child-led advocacy that promotes sanitation as a matter of health, dignity and child rights.
According to him, the development of a Children’s Sanitation Manifesto will help ensure that children’s voices are reflected in policies that affect them.
“When children are given the platform to speak on issues that affect them, we get stronger and more sustainable solutions,” he said.
He called for increased support from development partners, institutions and individuals to promote sanitation awareness and behavioural change among schoolchildren.
Dr Apaak assured that the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service and other agencies would continue to back initiatives aimed at improving sanitation conditions in schools.
The Finance and Support Services Director of World Vision Ghana, Ms Mercy Nuleyan, said the campaign would train pupils to serve as ambassadors for good hygiene in their schools and communities.
She explained that the initiative would go beyond awareness creation to encourage pupils to take responsibility for cleanliness and influence positive hygiene practices among their peers.
She noted that children could be powerful agents of change when properly empowered and supported. The event also saw the official launch of the 6th Child Sanitation Diplomat’s one-year campaign, led by Master Artaldus Sung Kuuntanaa of the Accra College of Education Demonstration School, winner of the School Sanitation Solutions Challenge
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAH FOLLEY
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