Ensuring good sanitary condition in our schools

NEWS COMMENTARY ON ENSURING GOOD SANITARY CONDITION IN SCHOOLS IN ORDER TO AVOID THE OUTBREAK OF DISEASES SUCH AS PNEUMOCOCCAL MENINGITIS 

Education holds the key to progress in society, for which reason, every society spends money to promote it among its citizens. Education, and indeed, quality education helps form the character of the youth to position them to become useful adults in the world of work. It is an undeniable fact that more than a fifth of the budgets of most developing countries is devoted to education. In Ghana, about 30 percent of the annual national budget goes to the educational sector. Unfortunately, a major portion of that is used to pay the salaries of teachers and non-teaching staff to motivate them to give off their best. But regrettably, the attitude of some teachers and their heads, in terms of the management and administration of their schools is becoming a worry to all stakeholders. This has culminated in the setting up of a National Inspection Board by the Ministry of Education to visit schools unannounced not only to check lazy and absentee teachers but also identify challenges for redress. That is why the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders are alarmed at news of bedbug infestation in some senior high schools across the country. In December last year, the Chronicle newspaper reported that more than one thousand seven hundred students of the Ada Senior High Technical School at Sege in Ada West District had been sent home with skin rashes due to bedbug bites. Not long ago another report had it that five first- class Senior High Schools  in the Western Region, namely Ghana Secondary Technical School, Sekondi College, St. John’s, Asiama and Nsein senior high schools have also been infested bybedbugs.  In the Volta Region, Mawuli School and others were also said to be infested. The problem may not be limited to the three regions but could be a nationwide phenomenon. 

We can understand the concerns expressed by the Director General of the Ghana Education Service  Jacob Kor, in describing the situation as a serious health issue, for which reason he directed all regional directors to seek permission to close down such schools for fumigation. Having said that, we can question school authorities for allowing and supervising overcrowding of students in their various hostels and dormitories. The question on the minds of many is whether the school authorities were ensuring regular cleaning and inspection of the schools' dormitories and cubicles.  

Going forward, the Ghana Education Service must as a matter of urgency come up with clear guidelines to keep our school environments clean in order to avoid any future catastrophe. It is imperative that places where large numbers of people congregate are made to meet certain acceptable standards in order that the people, especially school children, are not exposed to health risks. This is even more imperative especially, in this era of Pneumococcal meningitis. Already, we are told this disease has claimed about thirty two lives out of the more than 150 people affected. In fact, a life lost, is one too many. We cannot and we should not let anyone die from a situation that is easily preventable. In fact, the bedbugs infestation is a wakeup call to all of us to ensure good sanitary conditions in our schools and communities at all times.  It is shameful that at this time and age, people still die from common diseases like cholera. This is not acceptable. Let us all get involved in ensuring that our school environments are conducive for effective teaching and learning and, indeed healthy for human habitation.
 
BY: DAN OSMAN MWIN, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION.