SSWM in School Curriculums (WS)

There are many ways how water and sanitation issues can be introduced into the general curriculum both inside and outside the classroom. For example, teachers can use specific themes like diseases related to water supply and sanitation to integrate water and sanitation issues into education. Another idea to organise a school curriculum is the integration of water and sanitation issues into regular school subjects like geography, history, biology etc. Also actual local projects can be used as learning classrooms for water management lessons, and visits to water infrastructures may broaden the learning process (GWP 2008).

Naturally, teachers (and principals) are the main actors to use this tool, because schools provide unique opportunities for awareness raising as they bring large groups of people together for learning purposes and usually have systems for production and dissemination of educational material (SCHAAP et al. 2001).

These days, increasing attention is given to the education of children and youth on water and sanitation related topics. For example, studies on introducing water use reduction behaviour show that the most efficient way to affect adult behaviour is through educating children at school (GWP 2008). And today's children will, sooner or later, decide the future use of our world’s water resources. Education can help to equip the next generation with knowledge and attitudes that promote the wise use of water and appropriate hygiene behaviour (SCHAAP et al. 2001).

School education can also provide an entry point to the community as a whole, for example, the introduction of latrines and hygiene-education at schools may trigger the development of improved hygiene norms in the household (SCHAAP et al. 2001).

Choosing suitable activities and material for a water curriculum depends on several factors (SCHAAP et al. 2001):

• Age of the children: children within specific age ranges should be addressed differently (learning and teaching methods).
• Relevant water and sanitation topics in the school's city/region (teaching children about conservation of drinking water in an area with plenty of clean drinking water is, of course, not as useful as teaching the subject in an arid region).
• Cultural background of teachers and children.
• Time, skills and facilities (supply, sanitation and hand washing facilities) available.
• Possible linkages with existing school campaigns, educational programmes or school networks.
• The literature and materials to be distributed should be available, sufficient and relevant.
• Have the teachers been trained in how to teach water and sanitation education? Do teachers have and use educational guides and materials (IRC 2007)?
• Not all activities are equally suitable for children who are physically disabled. Teachers should be selective and make adjustments, especially by stimulating other children to include disabled classmates so that they participate fully for mutual understanding, joint learning and joy (KHANAL et al. 2005).
• Gender and hygiene behaviour: In teacher training, which teachers are trained: female teachers, male teachers or both? Both is usually best for reaching both girls and boys (IRC 2007).

One way to organise a curriculum for education is to use themes. The content of the themes should vary according to the location and should be based on assessment of the attitudes, behaviours or diseases that are prevalent in that area. Possible content can be divided into four basic themes (IRC 2007):

• Water, sanitation and waste in school, homes and community - including the different types of water sources; the transport, handling and storage of drinking water (see for example HWTS; and different types of waste existing within a community (such as human excreta and rubbish) and how these differ in terms of cleanliness and risks to health.
• Personal and food hygiene in school, homes and community (including food vendors) – covering conditions and practices that are either positive or negative and the reasons, ways and means to change the latter (for more information on this issue, see CHAST).
• Diseases related to water supply and sanitation that have an impact on someone’s health – including information on the incidence and transmission, as well as the prevention, of diseases in the local environment.
• Facilities for water, sanitation and hygiene within schools, households and the community. This category may cover topics such as the planning, construction, maintenance, management, monitoring and use of water supply, excreta disposal and other existing facilities (see also school campaigns).

Other important concepts such as gender, equity, and helping other children in the family are cross-cutting and can appear in many of the topics. Check the background or the further readings below to get more detailed information on how to integrate these topics into the lessons.

Another idea to organise your school curriculum is the integration of water and sanitation issues into regular school subjects (SCHAAP et al. 2001). Water-related topics are great opportunities to integrate practical real-life situations rather than focussing on more abstract topics. By using a topic like water, pupils can practice skills such as researching issues, debating, studying the economics of decision making and developing marketing material. Some examples of such an integration into regular school subjects (SCHAAP et al. 2001):

• Water and geography: Where does the water come from, from which streams, and where does it drain? (see also: the water cycle)
• Water and chemistry: How is the health of a waterway determined? What types of tests are typically performed?
• Water and language/art: Create a song or poem on a water issue.
• Water and mathematics: Calculate how much water a family uses at home.
• Water and History: Compare and contrast how the use of the river has been changed over the years.

Knowledge should provide the basis and motivation for behavioural changes or action. But for effective child-centred education, the methods that are used should be activity based and joyful for children. The methods used should not only give the children the opportunity to learn by doing and experiencing but also the opportunity to learn at their own pace and in their own style. They will be given the opportunity to personalise the information and develop positive attitudes and values as well as to practise the new skills (IRC 2007).

The design and selection of educational methods should be in line with the age of the children. The development and characteristic patterns that are common for most children within specific age ranges can be divided into three categories: physical, cognitive and social-emotional (NCERT 1998). See the examples below of how the child’s age and characteristics influence the choice of learning and teaching methods (IRC 2007):

Children (4-7 years)

Physical: Children in this age find it difficult to sit for a long time and will need a variety of activities involving frequent changes of body position. The child needs opportunities to run, jump, balance, etc. During education, the child can, for example, be asked to go outside and make drawings of different water sources and indicate which ones are suitable and safe for drinking.

Cognitive: Children within this age have short attention spans and can only concentrate on single elements at a time. They need a lot of opportunities to speak with others and listen to good language. In hygiene class the teacher can tell a story, for example, on the effects of eating raw food. The story has to be simple, short and fun, and the teacher should allow children to comment and interpret at some point.

Social-emotional: Children in the age range of 4 to 7 years need physical reassurance through appropriate patting and touching to give them a sense of security and confidence. In hygiene class children can, for example, sing songs about how to clean themselves in the morning, during which they can act out the different behaviours. After this they can be complimented on their performance.

Children (8-11 years)

Physical: Children in the age range of 8 to 11 can perform movements involving better body control. In hygiene class children can be asked to play pantomime games, for example, to depict different hygiene behaviours.

Cognitive: Children develop the capacity to see other points of view. This development helps the child analyse, understand and see logical relationships. For example, in hygiene class, the children can be asked to organise and have a discussion that critically analyses a hygiene-related problem in the community and develops a number of solutions.

Social-emotional: Children get easily embarrassed by physical displays of feelings and are sensitive to gender differences. In hygiene education, the teacher has to take these feelings into account, for example, when working in groups, being careful not to reinforce unhelpful or antisocial gender differences and stereotypes, but instead promoting cooperation.

Adolescents (12-16 years)

In this age group, children start to develop social and analytical skills for exploring their position in the community (KHANAL et al. 2005). They can question socio-economic differences and can start to become aware of gender disparities. And they begin to understand abstract concepts around sanitation, water and social relations. Hence, teachers can address more complex issues and use methods like group and class discussions, role-plays and skills demonstrations. Adolescents can be involved in actions, with more responsibility than in younger age groups. For example, doing hygiene tasks (with an educational purpose) such as helping younger children visiting toilets and washing hands or family members observations and analysis of behaviour (MOOIJMAN 2010). The older the adolescents, the more material that is designed for adults can be used, given that the teacher makes a careful selection of the material.