40pc schoolgirls cut classes for menstruation

As many as 40 percent of the girls are compelled to miss schools for about three days during their menstruation as most institutions do not have facilities where they can change and dispose of sanitary products, said speakers citing a survey at a roundtable yesterday.

About one third of the girls think that their school performances are affected due to such menstrual issues, they added.

The survey, “Bangladesh National Hygiene Baseline Survey 2014”, conducted by the Ministry of Local Government, ICDDR,B  and WaterAid was launched this June.

Sampling 700 rural and urban schools across the country, the study found only three percent of the institutions had toilets where sanitary products can be disposed of.

The roundtable on school sanitation with support from WaterAid Bangladesh, Share Research Consortium, and Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) was organised by the daily Prothom Alo at its office in the capital yesterday.

Saying that school teachers do not teach students about menarche, Hasin Jahan, director (programmes and policy advocacy) of WaterAid, pointed out that many girls suffer trauma and embarrassment during the time.

Besides, 55 percent of the school toilets remain locked throughout the day, she added citing the survey.

Rasheda K Choudhury, executive director of CAMPE, said although there is a chapter on reproductive health in school books, teachers did not include them in the curriculum as they still feel embarrassed about sharing the topic. Nazrul Islam Khan, secretary to the education ministry, said teachers' training institutes should include the topic in their training courses. The speakers also said the problem can be dealt with by engaging local government representatives, students and teachers in maintaining toilets in schools.