School Sheds Dropped Water and Toilet – Kids Are Feeling the Heat
Late last month a UN‑WHO joint report slid across the world, exposing a bitter truth: roughly half of all schools are missing a basic check‑list that every child should get – clean drinking water, functional toilets, and a place to wash hands. That’s a three‑minute count that puts millions of kids at risk of getting sick – and even forces some to skip class entirely.
Why It Matters (and Why It’s Not Just Another Stat)
Dr. Rick Johnston from the World Health Organisation, who spearheaded the research, shared a straight‑forward line: You can’t have a good learning environment without basic sanitation. He added, “If kids can’t find a decent toilet, they either don’t show up, or they’re already feeling lousy.”
Water, toilets and hand‑washing are the “invisible” pillars that keep classrooms healthy. Without them, dehydration, infections and even death become a very real threat.
What the Numbers Look Like
- 57% of schools lack a safe drinking water supply – that’s about 570 million children.
- Roughly 20% of schools have absolutely zero safe water.
- Over 60% suffer from inadequate toilet facilities – affecting roughly 620 million kids.
- About one in five primary schools (and one in eight secondary schools) comes up short on sanitation.
- Almost 50% don’t have proper hand‑washing stations – 900 million children are missing that simple hygiene step.
The “Hardest” Countries
Schizophrenic suffering is brightest in Sub‑Saharan Africa, East and South‑East Asia. “It’s deeply shocking,” says Tim Wainwright, WaterAid’s CEO. He warns that poor facilities rollback learning, health and nutrition across the board.
Girls Are the Biggest Victims
- More than a third of girls in South Asia miss school when they’re on their period.
- These absences happen because toilets lack privacy or cleaning supplies (pads).
Early research by WaterAid and UNICEF on the same front supports the same distressing picture.
Can We Fix This?
The World Bank’s last‑year analysis says that countries need to quadruple their spending to about US$150 billion a year in order to hit universal safe water and sanitation. While that may feel like a huge ask, many experts keep their hope level high.
“With political will and a clear prioritization of water, sanitation, and hygiene, good quality services are totally achievable,” Dr. Johnston said.
What’s Next?
Global leaders have pledged to bring safe water and hygiene facilities to every child by 2030 “under the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.” It’s a lofty aim, but the first step is acknowledging that every classroom should come with a running tap, a toilet, and a place to wash hands before the bell rings.
