1. Describe the importance of WASH in school/School WASH program.
Expected responses:
(Answer should be about half page = 30 marks) Marks Obtain 24
• Children have the right to safe and dignified access to water, sanitation and hygiene promotion and in doing so reduce the risk of disease and improved capacity to attend school and to participate actively in learning.
• Children are highly receptive of new idea and messages and appropriate messaging to children provides one of the best opportunities to transfer skills around safe hygiene behaviours that are likely to keep children healthier into adulthood, passing on the same practices to their families.
• The potential for lack of access to appropriate sanitation in particular has been shown to act as a barrier to school attendance, particularly for girls around menstrual age.
Removal of a
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Children are highly receptive of new ideas so not only does this provide an excellent opportunity to in-part safe and hygienic practices in the child that they will carry through life but can lead to changes in practices within the wider family as a result of lessons taught to the child which they take home and promote to the wider family. As discussed in question 1, as central and highly visible institutions with the community, the school provides an opportunity to engage a large cross section of the community, targeting children but also providing an opportunity to engage parents, teachers and local leaders, highlighting their responsibility as duty bearers in ensuring access to safe and dignified access to WASH. Targeting children on water and sanitation issues which may be taboo within some communities also provides an easier opportunity to engage adults on some of these taboo issues including open defecation, handwashing and menstrual hygiene management; including mothers in child targeted programming also opens the conversation on these sensitive