The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) envisages a monumental change in our education system. In doing so, it has also placed high priority on children’s health and their nourishment. Health and education are strongly interconnected. While healthy individuals are more likely to have better educational outcomes, right education can improve the health status of a household. The policy proposes to bring a paradigm shift in Indian education. In doing so, it recognizes the need for proper nourishment with health and hygiene to aid optimal learning, and proposes certain health-related interventions.
Schools, which are the temples of learning, must be clean in all aspects. But maximum schools in Kashmir, with access to technology aside, do even lack cleanliness which is a key element for learning. We must remember that combination of adequate water and sanitation facilities, correct behavioral practices and education is critical for securing children’s good health, learning and overall development. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in schools has been widely recognized for its significant contributions to achieving the ambitious Sustainable Development Growth (SDG)-particularly those related to providing access to primary education, reducing child mortality, improving water and sanitation and promoting gender equality. The clean and tidy schools not only improve student outcomes and reduce drop-out rates but also play a crucial role in student’s quality academics.
Swachh Bharat: Swachh Vidyalaya (SBSV) is a flagship programme of Govt. of India (GOI) which is active from 2015 for all educational institutions in the country to ensure clean and tidy schools. UNICEF is a stronger partner of GOI for the above national campaign working to ensure that schools in India has a set of functioning and well-maintained water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. As per National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, cleanliness is a key part in the school curricula. It lays great emphasis on children’s health and cleanliness in schools because health and education are strongly interconnected. While healthy individuals are more like to have better education outcomes, right education can improve the health status of a household.
The combination of adequate water and sanitation facilities, correct behavioral practices and education is critical for securing children’s good health, learning, and overall development. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in schools has been widely recognised for its significant contributions to achieving the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – particularly those related to providing access to primary education, reducing child mortality, improving water and sanitation, and promoting gender equality.
When schools have clean toilets for both boys and girls, access to clean water, and hand washing facilities, it not only prevents transmission of communicable diseases, it contributes to more children attending school and learning.
With the advent of the SBM, the increased policy emphasis on school sanitation was manifested in the Indian government’s campaign slogan of ‘toilets before temples’ and the subsequent launch of the Swachh Bharat: Swachh Vidyalaya (SBSV) initiative in 2015 that aimed to provide universal access to sex-segregated toilets in all 1.2 million government schools. Another aim of the SBSV was to improve the WASH curriculum and teaching methods while promoting hygiene practices and community ownership of water and sanitation facilities-within-schools.
All parents want to admit their kids in a school which is safe, clean and where learning is joyful. They wish to ensure that school besides ample facilities, have clean and tidy campus to make learning blissful. Because, a school is a holy-pace, a home away from home for their kids. The reason why they prefer to admit their wards in private institutions is because they are perfectly maintained, properly fenced, adequately cleaned, and are pleasantly located. However, when one steps in a Govt. school lawn, one gets annoyed to see the muck around (exceptions apart). Here, a student has to face a series of hindrances before actually entering a classroom. This is probably the reason, why least number of parents enroll their wards here.
We all know how much we suffered during last couple of years due to deadly Covid-19 pandemic which laid too much of emphasis on the cleanliness in and around us. Our school-children are prone to infections and diseases. In order to safeguard children from various diseases, teachers have to make sure that the institutions are neat and clean in all aspects. The clean and tidy school atmosphere boosts enrollment, quality education and healthy children in Govt. schools. All we require is the focus on health and hygiene, and then nothing can stop us in excelling in future.
The author is teacher at Govt. Middle School, Shangergund,Rafiabad.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.