The government has asked all secondary and higher secondary educational institutions to ensure proper and gender-specific sanitation systems in schools.
The Ministry of Education issued a circular in this regard on Tuesday, which also stressed proper management of toilets as well as separate toilets for female students to ensure menstrual hygiene.
Signed by Education Secretary Nazrul Islam Khan, the circular asked all secondary and higher secondary institutions, and equivalent institutions under madrasa and technical education, to follow the instructions with immediate effect.
According to the circular, the management committees of the institutions are required to create a separate fund for toilet maintenance and recruit manpower to improve sanitation coverage and promote safe hygiene practices in the country.
It also stressed formulation of toilet and sanitation committees consisting of boys’ scout and girls’ guide, headed by the teachers to ensure the hygiene.
According to the National Hygiene Baseline Survey published in June last year, there is only one toilet for every 187 students, and around 45% of the toilets remain out of order.
The study was jointly conducted by International Centre for Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), WaterAid Bangladesh and the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives.
The study found that the usually unhealthy environment in the school and college toilets discouraged female students to attend classes during menstruation; the lack of proper ventilation does not help matters either.
Around 80% of the students who miss classes due to menstruation end up missing stipend as they cannot ensure full attendance.
The survey also pointed out that menstrual hygiene management was a challenge in schools as 40% of surveyed girls reported that they miss school during menstruation for a median of three days a month. Less than 5% of schools have separate facilities for girls, which is essential for optimal menstrual hygiene management.
Based on the survey findings, the government put stress on assigning female teachers to talk about menstruation with the female students while the management committees must take initiatives to store sanitary products in the institutions for the students – on payment basis, if required.
In addition, every institution must have proper ventilation facilities and may include modern technologies like motion sensor and green technology.
The circular also asked the district administrations to involve NGOs to run campaigns on sanitary hygiene safe drinking water in schools and colleges, while the DC offices must encourage local health complexes to make at least two annual field visits to schools.
