1. From the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India… 45.9% of schools in India are without toilets. 17.3% of schools in India are without water supply. (Ministry of Human Resource Development as cited in Joseph et al., 2012) In the Mysore District… Only 79% of schools had water supply facilities and of those, only 91% were functioning. 30.5% of school restrooms were not maintained in good condition. (Joseph et al., 2012) Examine sanitation in school environments. Examine hygienic and basic conditions. A Closer Look: India’s School Environment Hailey Schuchart and TaTyana Williams The Pennsylvania State University – York April 17, 2014 Reference List School Sanitation Research Findings Objectives Effects of Poor SanitationRecommendations Table 2 Table 1 The present environment and sanitation in India schools are not satisfactory. Many schools in India: o have less than 10 by 10 square feet for a classroom.* o do not have proper ventilation systems.** o do not have separate rooms for students to eat their lunch.* o do not have proper restrooms - separate urinals or latrines.* Students have to go outside where there is no privacy.** o do not have the proper hand washing stations with soap.* Consequence: There are high water-borne infections and some forms of Hepatitis, leading to higher levels of infections and even deaths.** *(Majra & Gur, 2010) ** (S, Rajadhyaksha, personal communication, September 17, 2013 ) Mangalore City of South India: 30 schools were surveyed on their sanitation. Recommended required number of desks were present in only 7 schools. Meals are prepared in only 3 schools. 7 schools do not have a dining hall for serving meals. 8 schools do not have water purification. 6 schools are not periodically cleaning their drinking water storage units. Only 2 schools have well-equipped first aid kits. 2 schools are not cleaning their toilets periodically. School environment and sanitation in rural Karnataka (Majra & Gur, 2010) (Katrak, 2010) Due to the unsatisfactory sanitation in these schools, infectious diseases and sometimes fatal illnesses occur. Diarrheal disease is caused by unsatisfactory sanitation. 1,000 children die each day from diarrhea in India. 88% of diarrheal disease is caused by unsafe sanitation, impure water, and improper hygiene. (Buttenheim, 2008 ) (Ghosh & Bose,2012 ) What can be done about this issue? o Campaigns o UNICEF o WHO o More health assessments Buttenheim, A. (2008). The sanitation environment in urban slums: Implications for child health. Population Environment, 30, 26-47. doi:10.1007/s11111/008/0074/9. Ghosh, S., & Bose, S. (2012). Morbidity among Urban children in India: Distinctions between slum and non-slum areas. Internationales Asienforum, 43(1-2), 47- 59. Katrak, H. (2010). Rural-Urban differences in India’s school sanitation programme. International Journal of Rural Management, 6(1), 151-159. doi: 10.1177/097300521100600107 Majra, J. P., & Gur, A. (2010). School environment and sanitation in rural India. Journal of Global Infectious Diseases, 2(2), 109-111. doi: 10.4103/0974- 777X.62882 Joseph, N., Bhaskaran, U., Kumar-Saya, G., Kotian, S., & Menezes, R. (2012). Environmental sanitation and health facilities in schools of Urban cities of South India. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 5(5), 431-435. doi: 10.4103/1755-6783.105125 S. Rajadhyaksha, personal communication, September 17, 2013. Sanitation in schools and the location of the schools has an effect on child development because it can cause infectious and sometimes fatal illnesses. Conclusion