The State of Water Supply and Sanitation in Government Primary Schools in Dares Salaam Region a Case of Kinondoni Municipality

Mafuru Solomi Juma

doi:10.11648/j.fem.20180403.11

Abstract

This paper sets out to assess the state of water supply and sanitation in government primary schools in Kinondoni Municipality. It based on data collected in 2013. A cross-sectional study design was adopted, collecting data through the use of questionnaire, in-depth interviews and observation from ten public primary schools in the study area. Statistical Package for social science (SPSS) was used to clean and analyse the data collected. The study found out that there is inadequate and unreliable water supply, water storage facilities and shortage of functioning hand-washing facilities. The available sanitation facilities are poorly utilized due to various reasons including pupils’ background personal hygiene, sanitation technology, pupils’ population, lack of hygiene education and school weakness in implementing School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (SWASH) guideline. The study concludes that although the government primary schools in Kinondoni Municipality own a variety of water sources and sanitation facilities, generally there is inadequate coverage of water and sanitation facilities in primary schools. Also the SWASH guidelines did not specify who is to be responsible for the maintenance costs, awareness creation to teachers, parents, and pupils as well cultural aspect on the use of SWASH facilities were not considered. To increase water reliability at schools, multiple sources (water tape and deep wells) could be the best solution. Parents and pupils should be involved in SWASH program awareness and consider economic (maintenance costs) and cultural appropriateness, also to avoid punishing pupils by using toilet cleaning at schools.

Highlights

The challenges of School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (SWASH) are more pronounced in developing countries unlike the developed world
The concept of water supply in urban areas and in primary schools is well defined in education for all 2015 national review report as well in the National Strategic Plan for School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (SWASH) of years 2012 to 2017 [17, 19]
The government primary schools in Kinondoni Municipality own the variety of water sources and sanitation facilities the study unveiled existing of inadequate water supply and sanitation facilities, poor condition of WASH facilities, inadequate financial capacity; weak community support; poor operation and maintenances of the existing facilities

Summary

Introduction

The challenges of School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (SWASH) are more pronounced in developing countries unlike the developed world. According to the [12]; in sixty (60) countries in the developing world, more than half of primary schools had shortage of water facilities and nearly two thirds did not have adequate sanitation. The majority of primary schools in the developing world lack the basic amenities of water supply, sanitation and hygiene education (SWASH) for pupils and teachers. The lack of clean drinking water and proper toilet facilities undermines the sustainability of other critical needs, including education, economic development, nutrition, environmental health and gender equality [9, 26, 23]. Sanitation has become an international policy agenda whereby in 2002, it was included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that ended in 2015. In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly included sanitation on the list of human rights [5, 8]

Methods

Results

Conclusion