We’re living in an advanced society that claims to be clean. Yet, news reports surface regarding fatal bullying inside school toilets while the guards are looking elsewhere. Sanitation & hygiene are delicate issues that require to be discussed, understood & monitored.
The municipality does the bare minimum to maintain hygiene in the neighbourhood but schools must be more responsible. Here are some steps schools can take to teach the most useful practices of hygiene & sanitation for better health.
7 sanitation & hygiene tips to follow in school
1. Educate regarding toilet etiquette, hygienic habits
Although elders in the family should teach essential toilet etiquette to students, classes should check if children use napkins or handkerchiefs while wiping their hands or after eating. Those who devise toilet lids open and soil the seats should be correctly educated and cautioned from repeating such practices.
2. Make antiseptic soaps available over the school
It’s a disgrace if children don’t find soaps at basins during recess. Due to strict scheduling, children regularly skip washing their hands properly before eating. Worse, children skip cleaning dirt off their bodies after playtime & join the class. This spreads infection. There should be two wash bars on every side of the washbasin for cleanliness.
3. Deploy guards around washrooms
Unguarded washrooms become a refuge for bullying, drug abuse & are dangerous for unsuspecting students. A male & a female guard should be present before several washrooms to monitor when children enter & leave. They should also check for private tools that may make the room dirty or attack things.
4. Inform regarding changes during puberty
Children of both sexes experience drastic physical and hormonal changes through puberty. They need support from both parents & teachers to understand their code of behaviour in society. Teachers must discuss the symptoms of youth with children so that they stay hygienic in school & practice good habits elsewhere.
5. Install drinking water filters beside various classroom
With increasing classroom strength & hectic classes, children do get thirsty. They make do with tap water if drinking water filters work dry or are present at few areas with long queues inside the school. Every class needs to have a drinking water filter installed next to its door so that children can drink purified water.
6. Avoid non-biodegradable plastic
Plastic dumped in waste containers emanates sulfur dioxide which pollutes the environment. Making paper bags necessary for carrying tiffin boxes or any article in & out of the school is a great practice to minimize pollution.
7. Dump waste in trash bins only
Sometimes, the waste collected on a preceding day is not unloaded during the morning, forcing children to scatter their leftovers in & around the waste bins & polluting the area. CCTV cameras should be installed near the area, helping spot students dirtying the premises and discipline them.
These are a few steps by which school authorities can not only instil cleanliness in children’s response but also keep them safe from infections & bad influences.
