[box type=”shadow” ]With a population of 1.28 billion, India faces a daunting task managing its waste and implementing an effective waste management program. In addition, it does not help the nation where nearly 595 million citizens defecate in the open. About 22 million girls do not have access to toilets. Sociotech Innovation4Change, a Bangalore based research oriented organisation took up a study covering 25 schools across five states in India to understand the sanitation facilities available in schools and the condition they were in along with a market study of school books of various curriculums. In addition, says Sangeeta Venkatesh, Research Director, Sti4 Change, that they wanted to assess the level of understanding students and teachers have regarding scientific waste management and good sanitation. Focus Group Discussions with various stakeholders on the challenges involving school sanitation were of immense help and value in understanding the lacunae that exists in the system. A report.[/box]
Methodology
The conceptual framework of the methodology was as follows; a set of Initial conditions were identified, followed by a study of WASH strategies (Sti4change defines WASH as Waste, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) in the 25 schools and finally the WASH outcomes were assessed. According to our conceptual framework the set of WASH outcomes is a function of the set of initial conditions and the set of WASH strategies. The set of WASH strategies and initial conditions are obviously likely to be correlated also.
A wide range of schools were examined ranging from Government Schools of various states (with and without external intervention); regular Private Day Schools and Residential Schools. In each school we looked at variables such as type of funding, budget, number of classrooms, number of students, number of staff and cleaning staff.
In addition, we examined WASH incentives and routines such as different components of toilets such as mugs, buckets, dustbins, physical infrastructure (walls, doors, latches, etc.), water supply, availability of soap, drinking water, waste segregation and management, eco- sensitive practices, teaching on hygiene including curriculum, and supervision of cleanliness.
Detailed individual components of toilets such as mugs, buckets, dustbins, physical infrastructure (walls, doors, latches etc), water supply, availability of soap, drinking water, waste segregation and management, eco-sensitive practices, teaching on hygiene including curriculum, were also assessed. Individual case studies were documented and a summary of the Challenges faced in WASH strategies, Best practices and Catch- up Paths to achieve it will be attempted in this article.
Challenges
The Challenges that are faced by schools include a) Execution of various Government policies, b) Functioning of School WASH management, c) Capabilities of individual Schools in WASH, d) School WASH vision
a) Government Policies
Though there is a funding earmarked for primary education, this cess is often unspent. One of the causes of the unspent education cess is that under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan scheme, states have to contribute at least `25 for every `75 spent by the Centre. Reports suggest that states such as Bihar, UP, Jharkhand and West Bengal have struggled to pay their share. Ironically, these are the very states where the need for quality primary education is most pressing. Furthermore, in 2015 the funding pattern of SSA has become tighter and has been formally changed to 50:50 between the Centre and states from the existing 65:35 threatening the future of the flagship programme.
Consumables like cleaning agents and salary for cleaners have to be managed within this budget, other than electricity, water, phone and repairs. In other states, due to lack of vision and planning, this available budget under-utilised.
School WASH management
The volunteers working in the Bangalore government schools reported rampant pilferage of cleaning agents like toilet cleaners, phenyl, and hand-wash soap in government run schools. Hence, toilets were not cleaned or disinfected well. Teachers rarely accompanied students when they use the toilet and hence are not taught the ‘right’ way of using it (pouring water in the water-closet, method of hand-wash, etc.). The levels of motivation of teachers in government schools to go the extra mile to guide the children was extremely low. It was also reported that most hiring of teachers happened through ‘recommendations’. In most government run schools surveyed there were inadequate teaching as well as cleaning staff.
There were also some practical challenges observed. For example, all students were allowed to use the toilet only during break time. As a result of fewer number of toilets, the boys tend to rush to use the walls or trees.
Access to water varied in different schools. In one particular school that we visited in Mumbai, we learnt that the management deliberately put of water during class break time even if there was enough water, which made it difficult for students to use the toilet hygienically.
School WASH Usage
In more than half of the schools visited, inferior quality material were used for doors, latches, tiles which caused quick damage of toilet infrastructure. These were also not child friendly. Instances of vandalism by unruly students and external elements was another cause of concern for quick deterioration of toilet infrastructure.
In many instances, schools lack boundary walls and have become the property of the local politician. Many of the schools had ample land that could be used as playgrounds and developing sports facilities. Unfortunately that was not the case and the land was used for private functions of local politicians and influential people. In such a scenario, toilets were the first to be targeted for vandalism and damage. Quite often, the residents from the neighbourhood also used a part of the land for dumping their garbage.
Inferior quality of doors used in a school in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu
School WASH Capabilities
Our survey also showed some toilets that looked as if they were deliberately damaged so that toilet usage could be avoided. What we learnt from sources was that this ‘spares’ the school management the trouble of cleaning toilets as cleaners are not easily available. In the process, it was the girl-students that were greatly disadvantaged.
School WASH Vision
There were some pleasant surprises too during the study where some schools took the effort to segregate waste, compost, sell high value paper and plastic and deal with sanitary waste. However, because of the lack of back end solutions (no collection by civic agencies), schools were forced to burn low grade waste which causes air pollution in and around the school.
An incinerator to burn low grade plastic and paper in a school in Udhagamandalam, Tamil Nadu
Challenges other than WASH
• Corruption, mismanagement and lack of accountability
An incinerator to burn low grade plastic and paper in a school in Udhagamandalam, Tamil Nadu
There are various state government schemes that target health and hygiene and have good intent, but they do not go all the way to make sure that students are the actual beneficiaries. For example in Karnataka, the Ksheera Bhagya programme distributes free milk to government schools. However, many schools have no facility to boil and children are given raw milk to drink which could pose serious health concerns. Any excess milk gets curdled and is wasted. In many schools, the heads of school and other staff just take the milk to their own homes.
Another scheme that was brought to our attention is the Shuchi Yojanae programme where free sanitary napkins are distributed to adolescent girls in government schools in Karnataka. These are distributed in the beginning of the year and volunteers didn’t see any follow up about the efficacy; quality or if it was sufficient. It is not ascertained if the girls did use it or did other female members in the family also partake of the dole.
Teachers and Heads of Government Schools have a role to play in the execution of these schemes. But since they are assured jobs for life, there is often no accountability. Our study showed that there were external interventions contributing to infrastructure in government schools, such as, Rotary / SBI/Art of Living/ other IT corporates (CSR) but none want to get involved in the operations and maintenance.
Whitefield Ready volunteers working in Bangalore Government Schools now insist on an agreement with CSR departments for a three year operation and maintenance period.
• Local Societal Challenges
The Volunteer group emphasise that parent profiles influenced health, hygiene, nutrition and WASH habits of their wards. For example, parents of students in government schools in Whitefield, Bangalore are essentially migrant labour/ construction daily wage workers from settlements. During a health check 40% of students were diagnosed with a potential heart condition, but only 25% of the parents came to enquire when they were called, as none could spare the day away from work. In many families, school is essentially treated as a day care when they go to work. Because of rampant alcohol abuse and domestic violence at home, the day to day lives are so complex that mothers view schools as a day care. Many children came to school without having breakfast, so volunteers have to make sure that they provide early lunch in school.
Best Practices and Catch Up Paths
The idea of the study was also to find solutions for schools. There were many schools that did exhibit good/best practices and they could present “Catch-up Paths” for other schools could replicate. It could be through student led changes, through School Director-Teacher coalitions with vision, through a sensitive school management, through external Intervention and lastly through building a sound knowledge base.
a) Catch up through student led changes
Lawrence School, Lovedale
The school is one of the premier residential schools in India and is 157 years old. Lovedale is situated about 6 kilometres from Ootacamund, on the central plateau of the Nilgiri Hills. It is about 7200 feet above mean sea level and its climate is temperate throughout the year. The school stands on its own estate of about 750 acres. It was only in 2014 that a group of students decided that a specific and scientific method of waste-management should be established in the school. They went around the vast land that belonged to the school and collected bits and pieces of trash that made up several big bags. This triggered the thought that waste should be segregated and handled so that it becomes a resource. In a short span of a year, Lawrence School, Lovedale has diverted their waste away from landfills. Waste is judiciously segregated in the public spaces using labelled dustbins as well as in the kitchen.
It has clean toilets with necessary and adequate infrastructure and products with running water from a rain-fed lake. The school also grows a small patch of Herbal Garden. Medical and Sanitary Waste is picked up vendor Kovai Biowaste Management, which is a common facility run by Indian Medical Association. Students actively participate with the NGO, MOB (Make Ooty Beautiful) for cleaning up the Ooty town.
b) Catch up through Director- Teacher coalitions with vision
K. K. English School, Bangalore
K. K. English School is a privately run school and caters to low to medium income groups. The school fee is a meagre `600 per month per student and the school runs with the income generated. A committed head of institution as well as a committed teacher have come up with innovative ideas in education and hands on learning of green practices and education in general. Despite budget constraints, it has shown what an average school in India is capable of. The Manager of KK English School, M.K. Khan and science teacher Alli Rani have for many years introduced and carry forth many eco – friendly practices within the school. The students have been part of many campaigns such as ‘Clean up Varthur Lake’ (a highly contaminated lake in the city of Bangalore. They had won T.N. Khoshoo Ecology and Environment Award in 2011 for their project Solid Waste: A Threat to Water Bodies and Concern for Air Pollution.
Their good practices include:
• Rain water harvesting and recharging of borewells/ ground water
• Energy production through windmills
• Using waste material to create objects for landscaping
• Energy production through solar panels
• Using kitchen waste from student homes to generate biogas. The Biogas is being used in a school staff’s house
c) Catch-Up through a sensitive school management.
Ekya School, Bangalore
We observed that the school had several good practices worthy of replication, especially in sanitation. The school management has gone an extra mile keeping kindergarten and little children in mind and has invested in toilets suitable for their size. The toilet seat and wash basins were adjusted to the height of kindergarten/ very young students.
Other innovative practices they have used is putting up cartoon signages to reinforce and remind children regarding proper use of toilet. Readily cut newspaper strips are hung in the girls’ toilets for disposal of sanitary napkins. Other than sanitation, they have put into practice, the concept of recycling such as upcycling of old tyres into seating and use of aerated drinks bottles into planters.
4) Catch up through External Intervention Let’s Do Some Good Foundation, Bangalore (LDSG)
However, sanitation was a huge problem. They supported an initiative by high school students called the ‘Build a Toilet’ (BAT) project and built or renovated 12 toilets in a local government school. They also collaborated with ‘Anatta – a social initiative’ started by the former Miss India runner up and architect, Sushruthi Krishna as the social partner in the BAT project.
Anatta designed the 4’X 4’ toilet block and has limited the unit price to Rs 20000/- by using Solid cement blocks and polycarbonate sheet roofing (Pic 20). They are also making sure of the proper drainage and are constructing soak pits along with educating the kids about hygiene. To reinforce messages on how to use a toilet, importance of hand-wash and to maintain the cleanliness on toilets they used the concept of ‘Wall Talks’ where these messages with appropriate art work was used on the walls of a toilet.
A completed toilet under ‘Build a Toilet’ project (LDSG and Anatta as co-partners)
Recommendations
A completed toilet under ‘Build a Toilet’ project (LDSG and Anatta as co-partners)
1. Security of Schools: Each school must be provided round the clock security. In most private schools, there is somebody manning the gate to screen visitors and a guard even at night for safety of the school property. However, in some of the government schools we visited there was no security staff. In many schools even compound walls were missing. This is a clear invitation for miscreants, vandals and drunkards who come in and misuse the property and damage it. Toilets are the first places to get damaged and items get pilfered from there.
2. School is Not a Public Property: Government school buildings and the land surrounding is owned by the various state government. This makes the people in authority to make use of it for purposes such as public rallies and even conduct their private functions. Each activity like this generates a lot of waste which is then never cleaned up and the schools have to deal with the mess. NGOs must put pressure on governments not to allow this.
3. Hiring of atleast one female staff: In many schools, especially far-flung ones; e.g. tribal areas of Rajasthan, there are no female staff on rolls. This is because of the inaccessibility and poor public transport to reach the place. In a co-education school or in an all-girls school, the presence of a lady teacher instils confidence amongst parents and students.
4. Ratio of students to toilets: According to several experts the minimum ratio of students to should be 1 toilet or urinal to 25 students (1:25) in a country like India. The rationale was that the environment can become contaminated more easily with multiple simultaneous users of urinals, because at least one of the children may assume an offcentre position in relationship to the fixture during voiding. Also young children use the toilet frequently and cannot wait long when they have to use the toilet. In this scenario, typically boys use the walls or trees in the campus
6. Cleaning staff and cleaning material: In many state government schools there are no funds allocated for cleaners or the salaries are very low for the job. Hence, nobody wants to try and get a job as a cleaner in a school. There was also a lack of dignity of labour in this job. In many schools students themselves cleaned the classes as well as the toilets. In some schools cleaning agents and disinfectants were regularly pilfered. This has to be checked by keeping an inventory and usage of items per month. In Mumbai municipal schools, the cleaning and security was outsourced to a housekeeping organisation who were paid by the Mumbai Corporation. This was a good model as the corporation did not have the responsibility of having more people accountable on their payrolls and a private organisation was doing this job well. Many corporation/ government schools can adopt this model and this also prevents corrupt practices.
7. Periodic and quick maintenance of toilets: In many schools the problem was not the number of toilets but number of ‘working toilets’. Due to delay in repair or maintenance, many toilets are rendered useless. A monthly check is recommended for each school. Vandalism by students is also a problem. This has to be issued at a war footing as we will generate a set of citizens who have no respect to public property.
8. Age specific sanitary-ware: In Ekya School, Bangalore, the toilets for smaller children have smaller waterclosets and sinks so they can use the toilets independently. Schools can easily replicate this model.
9. Wall Talks: As seen in Ekya School, Bangalore, at the entrance to the toilet, there is a notice board with visuals that speaks about handwashing and what to do when you use the toilet. This is an excellent idea to remind the children of good habits of sanitation and hygiene. This kind of Wall Talk was also followed by Annatta – a social initiative with the ‘Lets do some Good’ Trust in the government schools they were working with. This reinforcement through visuals was found to be very effective in inculcating hygienic habits.
10.Disposal of Sanitary Napkins: Ekya School, Bangalore, also had sensitive practices such as keeping cut pieces of newspaper in the older girls toilet that could be used to wrap used sanitary pads before disposal. Schools like Gells Memorial School, Ootacamund had an electric incinerator for safe disposal of sanitary napkins. There are other options also available such as Ashudhinashak, a low cost terracotta incinerator made by the Vadodara based Bedekar couple.
11.Dustbins: Many schools had no dustbins in classrooms. Like vandalism in toilets, even dustbins are targeted. Students can be involved in making their own attractive dustbins by upcycling cartons or paint pails by painting them and sticking pictures on them. This could instil a sense of ownership in them and also help in using them.
12.Concepts of WASH education: Concept of waste segregation, water and sanitation education should be integrated into school activities (especially when these subjects are traditionally not given much importance). The managements/state governments must allot adequate time for this alongside other subjects. Local NGOs working in sanitation and waste management are the best collaborators for this and they should be able to measure the impact. Discussions, debates, activities are the best way to inculcate good WASH habits. For this teacher training is very important.
13.Creating student committees for WASH in Schools: One of the effective methods to create awareness and maintain WASH facilities in schools is to form student committees as was seen in the Bhuwali Government School in Dungarpur, Rajasthan. The school followed a neat system which allocated responsibilities to various students on the lines of the Indian government. Hence there was a Prime Minister with other ministers with portfolios. The girl who held the ‘Health Minister’ portfolio was responsible for handing out sanitary napkins which was provided free by the state government. The girl allocated the ‘Environment Portfolio’ was in charge of school cleanliness and girls toilet hygiene. An external help came only once a week and spent two hours for cleaning. On all other days the students maintained the cleanliness in groups.
14.Waste Segregation: K. K School Varthur in Bangalore is a model for replicable practices in managing waste. (Biogas production; composting; selling paper and plastic for recycling, e-waste collection).
15.‘Do it Yourself’ craft initiatives for Reuse of discarded materials: Ekya School, Bangalore used old plastic bottles can be used for growing plants and old car tyre used to make seating.
16.Tree Planting: In the Bhuwali Government School in Dungarpur, the student ‘environment minister’ was also responsible for ‘tree planting’ activities. Saplings of trees such as ‘Mahua’, ‘Mango’ and ‘Khajur’ were used as these can adapt to the arid weather present there. This was done 2-3 times per year. Saplings are easily available for free. In K.K School, Bangalore nearly 512 trees have been planted by students over last few years and numbered accordingly. Students have assessed Carbon-sequestration through a calculation called Plant Biomass Index using standard formulae. The results show that 417 tonnes of Carbon dioxide has been sequestered in the last 15 years by these trees. Planting of local varieties of trees was also being done by Amrita Vidyalaya in Nagapattinam.
17.Rain Water Harvesting: K.K. School, Bangalore has effectively shown how water table in a low water table area can easily be raised using rain water harvesting techniques.
18.Generation of Clean Energy through Windmills and Solar Panels: K. K School, Bangalore scores here again by generating their own electricity which takes care running lights and fans of many of their classrooms.
19.Knowledge through games and activities: This was seen in Bhuwali Government School in Dungarpur, e.g Snakes and Ladders; where good habits made you go up the ladder while bad habits made you come down the snake.
20.Miscellaneous:
a) Students can be involved with a ‘Street Store’, where they can collect wearable old clothes and accessories and sell it a nominal price to others who need it. The corpus collected can be used for any socially useful activity as seen in Lawrence School, Lovedale
b) As part of school outreach programs, sanitation workers of the municipality can be felicitated.
c) Cleaning up of a ‘black spot’ in a public space in the lines of ‘The Ugly Indian’
The following points are the main take-away from our school survey.
1. Government Schools versus Private Schools
Although the number of schools surveyed were limited to 25, it was very apparent, that government schools lag behind their private counterparts as far as WASH infrastructure was concerned. Volunteer groups such as ‘Whitefield Ready’ and ‘Let’s Do Some Good’ have both reported absenteeism amongst girl students in schools due to inadequate toilet facilities. Reports also suggest that in states like Karnataka, last year, 534 government schools had locked up rooms meant for class 1 because there were no admissions (data from Department of Public Instruction). In 9,503 schools, there were less than 20 students in classes 1 to 7. Other than reasons such as the state’s mother-tongue policy and the implementation of RTE, the condition of WASH infrastructure plays an important part. The Shikshana Trust in Bangalore that works in several government schools avers that by implementing the RTE scheme, the government is reiterating and perpetuating the fact that private schools were the ones parents should aspire for. Instead the government needs to work on improving the image and functioning of its schools.
The school curriculum and learning in topics such as ‘Waste Management’ and ‘Sanitation and Hygiene’ was unimaginative in both types of schools. However, some private schools have taken it up on their own to inculcate learning through hands on learning through activities and interacting with civic societies. These initiatives are either led through committed heads of institutions; teachers who have the support of the management; students led initiatives that have been encouraged by school managements. These models can be easily replicated by other schools as they are low on investment but require vision to execute.
2 Resources of learning outside the school curriculum- Content (Software)
There are interesting video resources on the importance of sanitation on the internet which have been compiled and assessed by us. These can be readily used by organisations, who are participating in sanitation interventions in schools and rural societies. However, there were inadequate book resources on sanitation.
Video resources on waste management was very inadequate and also only in English. Hence, there is a large scope for content development to spread awareness for children in rural India in their respective vernacular languages.
3 Role of WASH education
In the schools where there was active learning on WASH issues, teachers reported that the children could effectively influence their neighbourhoods too (e.g: K. K Educational Society, Bangalore & Lawrence School, Lovedale). Hence, it is not a cliché to say that education can help raise the next generation with knowledge that promotes sustainable water, hygiene and sanitation behaviour and create healthier societies. Also school can provide a starting point to influence the community as a whole. The role of children as positive influencers cannot be under-estimated and are most suited to trigger change and acceptance.
4 WASH Education – Infrastructure (hardware)
While private schools had adequate WASH infrastructure, it was woeful in many government schools. Vandalism, ‘goondaism’ are issues that are often brushed under the carpet. There were security issues in many schools that we visited. Cleaning staff were either not hired, not available or understaffed in almost all government schools. Even in some private schools where the staff are paid better, due to ‘aggressiveness’ of male students nobody wanted to do the job. Corruption was a big impediment in achieving good WASH infrastructure.