Launching the National Target Program on Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation

This morning (October 23), at Le Loi High School - Dong Ha City, Quang Tri, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Department of Education and Training of Quang Tri jointly organized a rally and launched the National Target Program on Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation in Schools for the 2012-2013 period.

Attending the event were Deputy Minister of Education and Training Tran Quang Quy, Vice Chairman of Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chinh, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Irrigation (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) Vu Van Thang, Deputy Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health) Phan Trong Lan, leaders of the Departments of Education and Training in the Central Highlands and the South, and more than 1,000 students representing more than 22 million students in the provinces.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Tran Quang Quy delivered the opening speech at the Rally and Launch Ceremony.

In his opening speech, Associate Professor Dr. Tran Quang Quy, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, emphasized: “The implementation of the Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation Program in schools has long-term strategic significance, contributing to forming civilized habits, maintaining personal hygiene, using clean water, washing hands with soap properly, using hygienic toilets, creating a green - clean - beautiful environment in schools.”

To implement this policy, in recent times, the Ministry of Education and Training has proactively included communication content on clean water and environmental sanitation in the school year directive and directed the entire sector for each school year.

Launching emulation movements such as: "Building friendly schools, active students", "Building green - clean - beautiful schools with enough toilets, maintaining cleanliness, not negatively affecting classrooms and the environment"...

At the same time, every year, direct educational institutions to respond to the National Week on Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation, World Environment Day and school sanitation festivals.

Strengthen training to improve the capacity of education management staff on communication and education on clean water and personal hygiene. Accordingly, instruct schools to integrate education on personal hygiene, clean water and environmental sanitation into regular lessons and extracurricular activities.

Leaders of ministries, local authorities and Departments of Education and Training attended the Ceremony.

Deputy Minister Tran Quang Quy assessed that currently, most schools and educational establishments have clean water facilities that meet standards, have hygienic toilets and urinals, have waste collection and treatment facilities and drainage systems. The implementation of personal hygiene and environmental sanitation in schools is being implemented, maintained and gradually forming good habits for students, teachers and childcare workers.

However, the implementation of clean water supply and environmental sanitation in some places is still limited, especially in mountainous, highland, remote and isolated areas.

Education and communication work has not received due attention. The management and use of clean water and sanitation facilities are not very effective. Many facilities are degraded and damaged, causing pollution that affects the lives and health of students and teachers.

In some localities, water facilities and toilets in schools are built inconsistently, not according to standards, not suitable for each student's age and do not ensure hygiene and safety for students.

“Therefore, implementing the National Target Program on Clean Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation for the 2012-2015 period; in which, the specific target is set as: “By the end of 2015, 100% of kindergartens and primary schools, and commune health stations in rural areas will have enough clean water and hygienic toilets”.

Therefore, in the coming time, provinces need to strive to increase investment resources so that by 2015, 100% of kindergartens and primary schools will have enough clean water and hygienic toilets, and well operate and maintain school water supply and sanitation facilities.

Students attend the rally and launch ceremony of the National Target Program on Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation for the 2012-2015 period.

“Enhance education on skills in using and maintaining water supply and sanitation facilities in schools for students and teachers. Promote information, communication and education activities on the National Target Program on clean water and environmental sanitation in schools,” Deputy Minister Tran Quang Quy noted.

Following the rally was a media parade of nearly 1,200 delegates, teachers and students on the main streets of Dong Ha city. Accordingly, the delegation visited a model model of the Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation Program at Cam Lo High School, visited the Quang Tri Province School for the Disabled and visited and burned incense at the Truong Son Martyrs' Cemetery.

According to (GD&TĐ) - LH