It’s holiday season again and the kids are back home. However, soon enough they will be returning to school as this holiday is quite brief. Worries abound due to the recent happenings in schools: abduction, illness and death. We attempt to protect them at home but what happens when they are out of our “care zone”?
Let’s talk about water and sanitary conditions. All schools most especially boarding schools should have access to potable water. Clean drinking water is important for the wellbeing of individuals most especially for young children whose immune system is still developing. Absence of potable water could lead to disastrous consequences as different children have varying immunity threshold. As a parent, what is the water source in your child’s school? Do you think this is out of your jurisdiction? As a member of the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) in your child’s school, you have a right to demand a safe environment for your child.
As a school owner, is the water available in your school properly treated? Is there a maintenance schedule that is complied with? It is important to check on these things periodically because of the effects of environment and time. Checking does not have to happen only when something has gone wrong. It could just be to see that you are still within the safe margins and ensure that you do not go below standards. A major problem in the country today is we tend to be reactive instead of proactive. We can no longer continue like this. We have to start being proactive to prevent injury, illness, trauma and death of children in school.
It is also important to note that if sanitary conditions of the school environment is poor, it could also lead to an epidemic. Are there stagnant pools, refuse dumps or improper sewage disposal on or around the school premises? We need to begin to ensure that high standards of hygiene are maintained in our schools to ensure we reduce the chances of a disease outbreak. We can no longer wait to solve problems after they have happened. We need to pre-empt them, beginning now.
Attend the #SchoolSafetySummit by registering here https://tinyurl.com/kjmche7 to join the movement.
To be continued next week…
