Is your child’s school a health hazard?
Jun 18, 2006
THE New Vision has done a school sanitation survey among 357 students randomly selected from 115 secondary boarding schools across the country. The survey reflects a startling sanitation situation in schools.
THE New Vision has done a school sanitation survey among 357 students randomly selected from 115 secondary boarding schools across the country. The survey reflects a startling sanitation situation in schools, Carol Natukunda reports.
The survey reveals an appaling health and sanitation situation in our boarding schools. Though facilities are adequate, they are not properly cleaned or utilised.
Perhaps that explains why school authorities never take parents round the school. With the ‘face’ of the schools kept neat and clean, the majority of parents assume everything else is fine. But there is much more.
The study revealed that 37% of the schools burnt garbage in the open. Health experts warn that such a method of waste disposal is hazardous.
“Open garbage burning produces pollutants like carbon monoxide and other toxic gases, which when inhaled overtime disrupt hormonal functioning.
This may result in headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and cancer in the long run,†says Dr Edison Babigamba, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist at Kim Medical Centre, on Entebbe Road.
Babigamba said garbage should be incinerated or disposed of in remote areas away from places of residence.
Of the sampled students, 117 (49.7%) were from government schools and 180 (50.3%) from private schools. 169 (47.2%) of the respondents were male and 188 (52.8%) female.
The study shows only 9% of the schools used incinerators and 5.3% used refuse pit as a means of garbage disposal. While 48.7% of the schools have a garbage dump or refuse pit, 22% of the sampled schools left the pits to overflow before emptying them. Another 13.8% said the pits were emptied only once a week.
On average, the ratio of students to toilets and bathrooms was proportional. At least 10 students were found to share one toilet or latrine, while at least 15 students shared one bathroom.
This is in line with the health ministry’s recommendations. Ahmed Kirumira, the Kampala chief health inspector, says, “We recommend that at least each toilet or bathroom should be accessed by 15 students.â€
However, what is worrying is the toilets and bathrooms were hardly cleaned. 62.3% of the schools cleaned them only once a day and 9.9% cleaned them weekly.
The toilets and bathrooms were only cleaner in schools where both students and workers participated but untidy where either workers or students alone did the cleaning.
Joseph Kibuka, a teacher at King’s College Budo, says students involved in the sanitation drive develop a sense of responsibility.
The survey showed that 85.9% of the schools with water closets had squatting toilets, which are ideal for large populations, but 14.1% of the schools still have seating toilets. As high as 59.7% of the schools use latrines.
Whereas 68.4% of schools said they had flowing water in the toilets, it was interesting that the percentage dropped to 55.2% when it came to flowing water in the bathrooms.
While 67% of the schools have incinerators, they are hardly used.
“Pads are thrown in the latrines or even toilets. Others leave them in the bathrooms. It’s awful. Some students urinate in the compound, even when we have the toilets and urinals. It’s the same thing with dustbins— someone throws the rubbish in the compound,†said a teacher who preferred anonymity.
The teacher, however, added that some schools don’t have lights in the toilets and latrines, hence, students fear to use them at night. But the degree of filthiness could be escalating because of lack of capacity among respective district inspectorate of schools.
Dr Charles Masaba, the city inspector of schools says checking of schools cannot be done regularly due to limited resources, hence, they depend on school administrators.
The sanitation condition could be appaling due to lack of a comprehensive guideline from the education ministry. The ministry’s basic requirements and minimum standards indicators is silent on garbage disposal and toilet and bathroom ratios. It only recommends separate latrines or urinal shelters for females and males and safe drinking water among others.
Aggrey Kibenge, the ministry’s spokesperson says head teachers were supposed to be creative and not just stop at what the guidelines say on sanitation conditions.
The survey reveals an appaling health and sanitation situation in our boarding schools. Though facilities are adequate, they are not properly cleaned or utilised.
Perhaps that explains why school authorities never take parents round the school. With the ‘face’ of the schools kept neat and clean, the majority of parents assume everything else is fine. But there is much more.
The study revealed that 37% of the schools burnt garbage in the open. Health experts warn that such a method of waste disposal is hazardous.
“Open garbage burning produces pollutants like carbon monoxide and other toxic gases, which when inhaled overtime disrupt hormonal functioning.
This may result in headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and cancer in the long run,†says Dr Edison Babigamba, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist at Kim Medical Centre, on Entebbe Road.
Babigamba said garbage should be incinerated or disposed of in remote areas away from places of residence.
Of the sampled students, 117 (49.7%) were from government schools and 180 (50.3%) from private schools. 169 (47.2%) of the respondents were male and 188 (52.8%) female.
The study shows only 9% of the schools used incinerators and 5.3% used refuse pit as a means of garbage disposal. While 48.7% of the schools have a garbage dump or refuse pit, 22% of the sampled schools left the pits to overflow before emptying them. Another 13.8% said the pits were emptied only once a week.
On average, the ratio of students to toilets and bathrooms was proportional. At least 10 students were found to share one toilet or latrine, while at least 15 students shared one bathroom.
This is in line with the health ministry’s recommendations. Ahmed Kirumira, the Kampala chief health inspector, says, “We recommend that at least each toilet or bathroom should be accessed by 15 students.â€
However, what is worrying is the toilets and bathrooms were hardly cleaned. 62.3% of the schools cleaned them only once a day and 9.9% cleaned them weekly.
The toilets and bathrooms were only cleaner in schools where both students and workers participated but untidy where either workers or students alone did the cleaning.
Joseph Kibuka, a teacher at King’s College Budo, says students involved in the sanitation drive develop a sense of responsibility.
The survey showed that 85.9% of the schools with water closets had squatting toilets, which are ideal for large populations, but 14.1% of the schools still have seating toilets. As high as 59.7% of the schools use latrines.
Whereas 68.4% of schools said they had flowing water in the toilets, it was interesting that the percentage dropped to 55.2% when it came to flowing water in the bathrooms.
While 67% of the schools have incinerators, they are hardly used.
“Pads are thrown in the latrines or even toilets. Others leave them in the bathrooms. It’s awful. Some students urinate in the compound, even when we have the toilets and urinals. It’s the same thing with dustbins— someone throws the rubbish in the compound,†said a teacher who preferred anonymity.
The teacher, however, added that some schools don’t have lights in the toilets and latrines, hence, students fear to use them at night. But the degree of filthiness could be escalating because of lack of capacity among respective district inspectorate of schools.
Dr Charles Masaba, the city inspector of schools says checking of schools cannot be done regularly due to limited resources, hence, they depend on school administrators.
The sanitation condition could be appaling due to lack of a comprehensive guideline from the education ministry. The ministry’s basic requirements and minimum standards indicators is silent on garbage disposal and toilet and bathroom ratios. It only recommends separate latrines or urinal shelters for females and males and safe drinking water among others.
Aggrey Kibenge, the ministry’s spokesperson says head teachers were supposed to be creative and not just stop at what the guidelines say on sanitation conditions.