Improve sanitation in Kenya's public schools

Given the playful, often carefree nature of school children, safety should top the list of priorities for any school administration across the country. Often, however, that is never the case. A news story carried in yesterday’s edition of this newspaper paints a dismal picture of the state of toilets in public schools that should worry any parent.

Not only are the structures that pass for toilets an eyesore, they are in imminent danger of collapsing and taking innocent lives with them. The condition of the toilets also leaves learners exposed to serious health risks, yet that need not be the case.

Most public schools suffer from lack of adequate classrooms, play fields, clean drinking water  and poor staffing; things that impact negatively on the quality of education being given as teachers and pupils are distracted most of the time. There are cases, like that of Ludodo Primary School in Likuyani sub-county of the larger Kakamega County, where public health officials have been forced to close the school, compelling more than 500 learners to stay at home.

Such cases cannot aid the fight against illiteracy. Several pertinent questions arise from such neglect. First, why has the situation been allowed to deteriorate to such alarming levels? Second, whose responsibility, between parents, school boards and the Ministry of Education is it to maintain structures in school? Third, most schools charge building fund fee, which further begs the question; to what use is the money put?

While secondary schools are not hit as hard, a notable thing is that most schools get their priorities wrong, especially where unhealthy competition to beat or equal the next school is concerned. There are cases where schools spend millions of shillings purchasing school buses yet students lack enough classrooms, water and dormitories, among other things. The urgency in rectifying the situation in schools cannot be overemphasised.