Page 63 - Shelter - April 2025

CASE STUDY

2024). Schools serve as not with only 47.6% equipped facilities. These gaps not
just centres of education but with such amenities, while only compromise students’
also as spaces that shape 13% have no handwashing health but also contribute
children’s overall well- facilities at all, according to to high absenteeism, low
being, hygiene behaviour, the Government of India’s enrolment rates, and reduced
and long-term development. Management Information learning outcomes. A recent
The physical environment System for the Ministry of survey, Community Analysis
and cleanliness of a school Education. of Monitoring Schools
facility and appropriate (CAMS) carried out by the
hygiene behaviour can This crisis contributes National Sample Survey
significantly affect the health to a troubling decline in Office (NSSO) reveals that
and well-being of children. school attendance each India’s school enrolment
Every child-friendly school year, as inadequate WASH landscape has shifted with a
requires appropriate WASH facilities lead to preventable rising percentage of parents
initiatives that keep the illnesses like diarrhoea and preferring private education
school environment clean disproportionately affect over public schools,
and free of smells and girls, who may miss school particularly in urban areas
inhibit the transmission of during menstruation due (Banerjee, 2024).
harmful bacteria, viruses, and to the absence of menstrual
parasites. hygiene management (MHM) The inadequate infrastructure
facilities. While some private in schools makes students
Education is a fundamental schools in urban areas boast highly vulnerable to
right of every child, yet in high-quality, sustainable, and environmental stresses,
India, the ability of children to aesthetically pleasing WASH such as water scarcity and
attend and remain in school infrastructure, many others, poor waste disposal, further
is increasingly undermined particularly public schools, exacerbating hygiene-related
by the lack of safe and lack even the most basic issues. Many schools rely
accessible water, sanitation, provisions, perpetuating heavily on conventional water
and hygiene (WASH) inequality in educational sources (such as municipal
infrastructure. This issue access. For instance, a UNICEF supplies), which are often
is particularly pronounced evaluation found that only unreliable or insufficient.
in urban areas, where 51% of schools in low-income
rapid population growth countries, including India, Additionally, the absence
and uneven development have access to adequate water of effective wastewater
exacerbate disparities sources, and just 45% have recycling, rainwater
in school facilities. The proper sanitation—a disparity harvesting, and solid waste
provision of adequate WASH mirrored within India’s urban management systems leads
infrastructure is not merely a landscape (McMichael, 2019). to environmental degradation
matter of convenience but a and unhygienic conditions
critical determinant of health, While private schools in within the school premises.
attendance, and educational urban India often have 2. Resilient School
outcomes, especially for high-quality, aesthetically
vulnerable populations such pleasing, and sustainable Resilience refers to the
as girls and children with infrastructure, a significant capacity of the community
disabilities. In India, nearly number of public and under- to bounce back after a shock.
half of all schools lack basic resourced schools continue A wide spread definition as
handwashing facilities, to grapple with inadequate coined by the community and

April, 2025, Volume 26. No.1 - SHELTER 61