The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that it will set up the National School Sanitation Awards to reward schools for ensuring cleanliness in the institution premises and improving students attitude towards proper hygiene. This step is being taken in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resource Development,the Ministry of Urban Development and German enterprise GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit). The awards will be open to all affiliated schools. CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi said,The aim is to inculcate good sanitation habits among school children in order to inspire and celebrate excellence towards school sanitation at the national level. Sanitation is one of the six areas that have been identified for schools to improve performance in order to become a health-promoting school. There are four categories in which schools will be rewarded awareness generation,technical innovation and interventions,creation and conservation of green spaces,and public-private partnerships. The awards will be given in the form of certificates of excellence,citations,opportunities to participate in school sanitation exchange programmes and joint development of pilot projects on zero waste. Special certificates will also be given to principals,teachers and students with health and wellness clubs and eco clubs. The initiative won the approval of school principals in the Capital. Apeejay School principal D K Bedi said,The difference between India and the West is civic sense. There are far too many instances of students,including those from well-to-do families,ignoring matters relating to basic hygiene and sanitation. This is a good idea and,hopefully,the qualities inculcated will be put to use outside the school as well. Shanti Gupta,whose son goes to the Government Senior Secondary Boys School in Andrews Ganj,said,Toilets are not cleaned regularly,and I am afraid that my son will catch an infection. Hopefully,this scheme will make government schools concentrate on hygiene." To be eligible for the awards,schools will have to register in November,when the CBSE will issue a call for entries.
