Ghana can afford GHc45 per child to maintain school toilets
By Doris Yaa Dartey. The WatchWoman Column
Maintenance is a major fault-line in our nation’s development. Low or zero maintenance creeps into the most unexpected spaces of our national life. One of such spaces is the toilet facilities in our public schools.
Recently, I had an eye-popping experience when I toured four newly constructed school toilet facilities in Accra with about 12 journalists, all members of M-CODe (Media Coalition against Open Defecation). These are state-of-the-art facilities that meet international best standards. They are fitted with water closets and sinks for handwashing. Water tanks are provided to ensure the flow of water for flushing and running water for hand-washing. The facilities were constructed by GAMA, the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Water and Sanitation Project.
The facilities are very beautiful. Are they too modern and beautiful for Ghana’s children? Definitely not. Ghana’s children also deserve good things. But without vigilance, a good thing can turn into a bad thing. At the time of our visit, the facilities had been in use for a maximum duration of six months.
THE MAINTENANCE FAUL-TINES
The maintenance fault-line had already created cracks to dent this very good thing. Some of the facilities were not cleaned well, water did not always flow, toilet paper was not readily available, vandalism had showed its ugly head, droppings were visible on floors, signs of lack of care were obvious, and some sections of the facilities were locked up – out of use.
It was obvious that the handwriting of disrepair was already boldly on the wall. A bad omen stared! If usage for only six months had resulted in these negative outcomes, what would be the fate of the facilities in two to 10 years from now?
Clearly, a disaster awaits! When these toilets break down completely, the children will have to resort to responding to nature’s calls in unholy uncivilized places. This situation will have far-reaching health implications because the children will be exposed to diarrhoeal and other funky diseases that are typical when recklessness and lack of civilization are allowed to fester.
THE END RESULTS OF FREE FOOD
Yet, the schools that are beneficiaries of the GAMA project are the lucky ones. They have the facilities but are struggling with maintenance! There are many schools in Ghana that do not even have toilets at all, as if having a toilet is a mere privilege! It should be a right! It cannot be acceptable to send off children to school to learn, but disregard the outcomes of critical bodily functions. The way nature works is that as we intake stuff, there will be exits. It is just like breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide. Things go in, and things go out! That is just the way of nature!
At the beginning of the last academic year, the NPP government introduced its flagship Free Senior High School Programme – in fulfilment of a political campaign promise. Free SHS comes with free feeding. It is a good thing; it is a very good thing! Free SHS has broken the charts to the numbers of admissions to senior high schools.
Much earlier in 2004, Ghana introduced the School Feeding Programme. Despite the challenges it had faced over the 14 years since its establishment, it has been hailed as a model programme on the African continent. The programme guarantees one hot meal a day for children in public schools. A cause and effect outcomes showed almost immediately. It resulted in an increase in school enrolment and a reduction in drop-out rates. Of course, who would not want a guaranteed free hot meal a day? It is especially so for children from low-income households whose parents and guardians struggle to feed them.
On a 1 to 10 of a made-up outlandish scale of measurement (with 1 being very good and 10 being super outlandish and unacceptable), not having a school latrine or having one that is so poorly maintained is super outlandish. It is disgraceful and a mark of a lack of civilization. It is bizarre to provide free education and free food but neglect to provide toilets. What do we expect school children to do? How are they supposed to handle the outputs of digesting the free food we give them?
A school without a toilet should not be considered a school. Similarly, a school without handwashing facilities should not be considered a school. Just having a building and a teacher cannot make a school a school. It should be the right of the children of Ghana to have toilets in their schools that are well-maintained; and which are not disease-infecting spaces. After all, a toilet is not a self-cleansing facility. Usage demands regular cleansing. Usage by school children demands more vigorous maintenance and attention to detail.
An interesting thing occurred that had thwarted the initial efforts to keep the GAMA school toilets clean. Since the state of Ghana has not seen the need to take charge of the maintenance of the facilities, parents of some schools were levied to provide funds for maintenance. But for the fear of it being abused (which was likely to have happened), the Ghana Education Service issued a directive that placed a ban on all levies in public schools. This directive froze any opportunities for parents, who so desired, to help their children’s schools to provide supplies to maintain anything including latrines.
THE AFFORDABLE 45 GHANA CEDIS
The GAMA project estimates that it will cost about GHc45 per child per year to maintain toilets in public schools. The maintenance cost covers purchasing cleaning supplies, paying for minor repairs of broken facilities, paying utility bills and janitors, and ensuring that the facilities are generally fit for purpose.
If the managers of Ghana really decide that this matter is of priority, the money will be made available. Already, we fail our young people in many ways. It is as if Ghana does not know what to do with the majority of her children. Many of them have nothing in store for them as they grow older. They are almost guaranteed unemployment. But for a minimum, we should not fail our young people on the toilet front.
What comes to mind are the numerous cases of wastage in our public sector. Regularly, news reports point to several audacious stories of embezzlement. The Auditor General’s annual reports are loaded with stories of wastage and bold raw thefts throughout the public sector of Ghana. If we consider the school children of this country as important enough, we can ensure that when they go to school, they will not just eat free meals but will also have access to well-maintained latrines.
This matter is not about latrines; it is about human dignity. It is about the dignity of school children to prepare them for their tomorrows. Who has the guts to maintain that Ghana’s children do not deserve dignity?
If we can afford free school feeding, we should be able to afford free school toilet facilities
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