Strengthening Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools: A WASH Guidance Manual with a Focus on South Asia

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in schools programmes are globally recognised as essential to promoting children’s right to health. WASH in schools influences a generational change in health promotion behaviour and attitudes. If schoolchildren have access to clean and appropriate toilets, functioning handwashing facilities with soap, sufficient and safe drinking water and have developed adequate hygiene skills, they are more likely to be healthier and to positively influence hygiene practices among family members and the wider community.

This book is meant for managers and trainers involved in water, sanitation and hygiene programmes in schools, whether operating at state, district or block level. It provides information on a number of essential topics related to WASH in schools and contains relevant activity sheets. Within that context, this book can be used:

    * For planning new WASH in schools programmes and setting strategies,
    * For district training and planning workshops,
    * To train trainers from NGOs and other institutions focusing on WASH in schools,
    * For orientation of district and department officials, education officers and headteachers, public health engineering staff and contractors, and leaders of other institutions such as NGOs & CBOs,
    * For setting up monitoring activities in the district, block, cluster and community,
    * For training field workers to work with communities on group mobilisation, technology selection and design.

This book was published jointly with Unicef and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC).