About 249 primary school pupils share one toilet in Kaduna

By EDDY OCHIGBO, Kaduna –

Although the Kaduna State Government has remarkably sustained its efforts towards improving infrastructure in basis education, lack of toilets and other basic facilities still remain a huge challenge in primary schools, with pupil-toilet ratio of two hundred and forty-nine(249) to one toilet.

A recent State Annual School Census Report on toilets in Public Primary schools in Kaduna state, conducted the across the state’s 23 Local Government Areas, showed that pit, bucket, flush and other toilets types, constructed and being constructed in the primary schools, are below standard, a situation exacerbated by inadequate water supply in most of the schools under review.

For instance, the state’s annual school census report (2018/2019), revealed that in Kaduna North Local Government Area, which has pre-Primary and Primary enrollment of 76,200 pupils – with 417 toilets – has a decimal pupil toilet-ratio of 183 to one toilet, while Kaduna South Local Government Area with a pre-primary and primary of 57,055 enrollment – 219 toilets – has an embarrassing pupil-toilet ratio of 261 to one toilet; in spite of the fact that the two local councils are urban-situated.

According to the report, Sabon Gari Local Government Area which has 76,458 enrollment figure, has the the worst pupil-toilet ratio of 822 to one toilet, while in Zango Kataf, with 73,582 pupil enrollment – 384 toilets – pupil-toilet ratio stands at 192 to one toilet.

Meanwhile, parents and key stakeholders in the state’s basic education who spoke to NATIONAL ACCORD in separate interviews expressed dissatisfaction with the glaring lack of toilet facilities in the state’s primary schools.

“Agreed that Kaduna state has continued to give basic education high premium. That is commendable, but the total lack of toilet facilities in our primary schools is a great setback, especially for those living with disabilities and girls who have to contend with their monthly periods. I think Schools Monitoring Teams and Community Based Organizations(CBOs) have a lot to do to ensure that the much orchestrated Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH), programme succeeds in the state” , stated a keen watcher who wants to remain anonymous.

At a two-day media parley during week in Zaria, put together by Partnership to Engage Reform and Learn (PERL), in collaboration with Kaduna Basic Education Accountability Mechanism (KADBEAM), the vexing issue of lack of toilet facilities in primary schools in Kaduna state reverberated.

First to speak on the matter, was Mr Martins Dangwa Abbas of the Coalition of Associations for Leadership Peace and Development(CALPED), who is also the Team Lead, Evidence Technical Working Group of KADBEAM:

“We at CALPED would continue to harp on the need for more investments on Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) to improve the quality of learning environment, especially for the girl child”, Martin said, pointing out that every stakeholder has a role to play in the campaign to improve the standard of education in Kaduna state.

State Facilitator, PERL ECP, Mr Istifanus Akau, on his part, explained that the event was targeted at increasing citizens’ awareness and review progress on the implementation of media strategies against barriers to girl education in the state.