Education
Source: allAfrica 16 year-old Anjola Olude (not real names) is a SSS2 student of Igboora High School located in Ibarapa South Local Government of Oyo State. As a young girl, she knows the importance of her health and the many hazards of toilet infection hence she is always very careful in using public toilets. Anjola is a very brilliant student who is always eager to learn. In her School like many public schools, the toilet facility is not in place.
"My eldest sister told me about the effect of toilet infection and so I am very careful in using public toilets. Since I started menstruating four years ago, I have never stepped into my school's toilet. I don't go to school whenever I am menstruating because I have heavy flows. I always need water to clean myself whenever I use the toilet and that is never available in my school. Whenever I want to urinate, I go to the bush in my school compound but I stopped doing that about one year ago when I was bitten by a poisonous insect, I thank God it is not scorpion or snake. I now use back of my classroom not minding if people are looking at me. I have a way of covering myself up whenever I am doing that," Anjola said.
Oluwaleyimu is a cleaner in a public School in Lagos State and she told our Correspondent, "In this school, washing of toilets is a form of punishment given to students. Though students do it grudgingly but we ensure they do it. You can't expect me to be washing toilets for student because I am a cleaner," said Leyimu.
Education is obviously an incontestable right of every child, as enshrined in all United Nations and International Conventions and Protocols. Similarly, getting education in a clean and healthy environment in school is also a fundamental child right; however, thousands of children especially girls in Nigeria are being denied to their basic right as they have no or very limited access to clean and healthy sanitation facilities in their schools. This is certainly an unfortunate fact that lack of clean and healthy sanitation facilitates are not only harmful and injurious for the health of little children but also consider as an obstacle in girls' education.
According to available statistics from the United Nations Children's' Fund (UNICEF), one in five girls of school age are not in school, compared to one in six boys. One factor accounting for this difference is the lack of sanitation facilities for girls reaching puberty. Girls are also more likely to be responsible for collecting water for their family, making it difficult for them to attend school during school hours. The installation of toilets and latrines may enable school children, especially menstruating girls, to further their education by remaining in the school system.
Students in many schools in Nigeria according to findings by our reporter still make use of Open Defecation (OD) without shame which causes diaherea and other infectious diseases. Among other negative consequences, OD can cause the contamination of water, food and soil and increases the number of flies and insects carrying excreta and spreading disease. Aside good toilet facilities, there is need for hand washing after using of toilets with soap and water. The physical quality of any toilet facility is an important determinant of whether and how it is used, especially for school children. Many do not currently have access to high quality hygiene facilities at school.
Speaking at a two-day media dialogue on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene ( WASH), in Enugu recently, UNICEF Specialist, Amos Kudzala said absence of toilet facilities remains a major challenge to girls in schools. "Advocating for the provision of WASH facilities in schools and hospitals across the country, he noted that every child, rich or poor, has the right to survive, the right to health, the right to access to improved water supply. Speaking on the global agenda, WASH in Schools, he said: Water is intimately linked with education and gender equality. Girls who have to spend time gathering water for the family tend not to be in school. And where schools have sanitation, attendance is higher, especially for girls."
He stated that WASH in schools would guarantee effective learning, adding that children perform better in a hygienic and clean environment. WASH will also reduce diseases and worm infestations-clean, well-used toilets and good hygiene practices will prevent infections and infestation. When WASH is in schools, children and their schools are able to introduce and reinforce hygienic behaviours in the home and community; it would also guaranteed environmental cleanliness
WASH programme is to contribute to an improvement in the number of people benefiting from improved water and sanitation facilities. This is aligned with the National Rural Water Sanitation Strategic Framework as approved by the National Water Council and Millennium Development Goal 7 on environmental sustainability, in particular the reduction by half of the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
Daily Independent gathered that majority of government schools and even some private schools, often experience very inadequate and unsatisfactory toilet facilities. Toilets in such schools are so dirty and filthy that children prefer to go to the open fields; however, girls find no option but either goes back to their own house. Young girls need privacy in toilets, due to their specific biological needs; therefore, lack of proper facilities makes it very difficult for young girls to attend the school regularly, especially during their periods.
Maryam Abdullahi founder Women for Peace in Nigeria (WOPIN) observed that lack of sanitation facilities for girls in schools is an immensely important issue; however, the issue has been ignored badly. Additionally, due to several social and cultural restrictions, people don't discuss the issue. She added that health and hygiene is equally important for girls. "Sanitation is an important issue in itself; however, sanitation in schools in many ways is not on the priority of Education or Sanitation sector. Girls drop out because parents do not trust adolescence girls being away from home without parental guidance. He added that education just does not give girls mobility but also freedom to think and to act independently," Abdullahi.
"I think the situation is an eye-opener for government as well as international organizations who want to reach the targets of enrolling thousands of girls and boys, but paying less attention in improving the infrastructures of schools and filling the missing facilities of schools." Jabbar Bhatti suggested that GOs, INGOs and NGOs should invest in improving the infrastructure as it will help in improving the quality of education in the province as well as in the country.
The importance of girl child education as she will be the mother of tomorrow is non-debatable. An educated woman can help in making the family and also contribute significantly in economic development of any country. Therefore, there is a need to minimize gender inequality in education and provide our girls an opportunity to study in schools with good and efficient sanitation facilities. Girls need functional toilet facilities due to their biological needs and vulnerable status.