Cognizant of DepED Order No. 10 “Policy and Guidelines for the Comprehensive Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools (WinS) Program“, clean water, functional toilets and proper hygiene practice in schools are essential to achieving learning outcomes and are integral to school operations and improvement.

        The development of the WinS Policy and Program recognizes that the core of DepEd’s work is to enable our learners to reach their fullest potential by ensuring healthy and enabling learning environments.   

        The WinS Program has put together a comprehensive package of doable practices, measures, and interventions for schools to improve towards the achievement of national standards. These standards are readily seen in the key WinS components, namely: availability of safe drinking water in school on a daily basis; adequate, clean, functional, and accessible school toilets; supervised daily group handwashing with soap and brushing of teeth with fluoride toothpaste among all schoolchildren; environmental sanitation in schools; semi-annual deworming of schoolchildren; safe practices in food handling and preparation; effective menstrual hygiene management in all schools; and health education for all students and personnel, augmented by capacity building for all DepEd program implementers.  

        To raise the awareness on WASH in school and efficiently disseminate the guidelines of the said program among learners and parents, a comprehensive information regarding WASH policy should be properly implemented to all schools.

        As stated on the DepEd Memo, the National WinS Three Star Approach provides guidelines in the identification of the gaps in WASH in school. With this, teachers, pupils, parents and other stakeholders must engage their support in developing proper WASH practices at home and even at the community.

 

By: Analiza G. Taguinod | T-I | Cataning Elementary School