REMEDYING THE ABYSMAL EFFECTS OF POOR PERSONAL HYGIENE ON TEACHING AND LEARNING IN BASIC SCHOOLS, IN THE ASSIN NORTH MUNICIPALITY, GHANA

Abstract

This paper is a sequel. The authors, after seeing the positive effects of the strategies implemented to remedy poor sanitation practices in three schools in the locality, sought to review the effects of poor personal hygiene on teaching and learning in three other basic schools in the Assin North Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana and design practical workable and innovative (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) WASH strategies to remedy them. The study, carried out within the structured school environment, used the action research for immediate solvable intervention strategies to be implemented. The main objective of the study was to examine the efficacy of three interventional strategies among these basic school pupils to minimize their feeling of discomfort and withdrawal resulting from phases of personal hygiene deficiencies. Census and purposive sampling procedures were used to select all 35 pupils for the study in each case. Three students who were members of the WASH club of the only initial teacher training institution in the municipality were chosen to help the authors in the implementation of the strategies in each school to see the extent to which the menace could be minimized. A certified medical doctor, Dr. Barbara Asare, was invited to examine the effects of the oral interview results from the pupils for needed medical recommendations. Observation and interview were the instruments used in each school. The pre-intervention observation carried out in school by Mr Charles Appiah Nuamah and Bismark Amoh revealed that class one pupils’ uniforms were dirty even on the first day of the week. Especially after break on mid weeks, the classroom atmosphere became so saturated with stinky sweat and this did not augur well for effective teaching and learning. Intervention 1 aimed at increasing teeth and cloth hygiene by introducing the early morning inspections and mid-week cloth washing. School 2 recorded a problem of overall personal hygiene. Miss Comfort Arthur and Victoria Amoakoh identified that hand washing before and after eating, after visiting the toilet, after playing were challenges to the pupils. They were also negligent of the use of handkerchiefs. Intervention 2 took pupils through hand washing techniques, use of handkerchiefs and general batheing techniques because the odour in the classroom was indicative of the fact that pupils do not pay attention to particular parts of the body during batheing. Intervention 3, which was implemented by Ruby Jecty and Leticia Donkoh, emphasized on food hygiene. Pupils were taken through the causes and effects of food contaminations because they were not particular about washing fruits or plates before eating. The author and students used WASH resources as intervention strategies to help pupils take their baths well, cut their nails, shave private parts, and the use of anti-perspiring materials and fruits and plate washing techniques to remedy the problem. After successfully implementing the strategies in each school, a post- intervention interview was administered to evaluate the consequences of the intervention. These intervention strategies were designed by Miss Ruby Jecty upon the recommendation of Dr. Barbara Asare and implemented by each author and student in their prospective schools. The intervention procedures, pre and post intervention results were collated and analyzed by Miss Comfort Siaw and the final script prepared by Mr. Charles Appiah Nuamah.