Hygiene knowledge imparting approach among students and basic sanitation conditions at government schools-an empirical study

Hygiene is a science that deals with the promotion and preservation of health. It refers to the set of practices linked to the conservation of health and healthy living. Poor hygiene practices and inadequate sanitary conditions play major roles in the increased burden of communicable diseases within developing countries particularly among children. Thus, schools in their effort to enlighten their students in collaboration with other external agencies believed to improve in hygiene routine of the students. In this context present study made an attempt to understand the knowledge imparting approach on hygiene at schools and its impact and to assess the basic sanitation facility condition of schools in 2 talukas of Yadgrir district. The study is carried out in 15 government schools of the said district through a self administered questionnaire for 388 students including boy and girls. The sanitation facility of the visited schools was assessed through in-depth observations. The impact of school on knowledge imparting on hygiene found not so effective. Further, cleanliness of school premise and toilet facility in the visited schools is not satisfactory. Lack of maintenance grant is a visible cause for poor maintenance of sanitation at schools. In majority of the visited schools the toilets are not quickly accessible. Unless the competent authority addresses these issues at schools, the concept of Total Sanitation Campaign (TCS) at schools will not be realized.