Almost a fifth of Montenegrin schools are supplied with water from wells or wells or local systems that are not managed by the relevant companies, and four out of five samples taken from these locations (83 percent) are defective.
This was shown by a study conducted in 2022 and 2023 by the Institute of Public Health, with the support of UNICEF.
World Water Day has been celebrated on March 22 since 1993, and although Montenegro, according to Eurostat data, reached and exceeded 50 percent of the average development of European Union countries in 2022 and achieved a higher level of development compared to the Western Balkan countries, major development challenges and many obstacles to meeting the United Nations' sustainable development goals are still evident.
Research by the Institute of Public Health has shown that even in schools that are connected to the public water supply system, where water disinfection is performed and which are managed by professional services, it often happens that disinfection is not performed adequately.
"...Which can also lead to microbiological contamination, most often due to turbidity and very low residual chlorine concentrations, which was confirmed by testing samples of chlorinated water in schools, where about four percent of the samples were microbiologically defective," it was specified.
Water supply, sanitation and hygiene have been recognized as a challenge in educational institutions and in the Draft Strategy for Education Reform from 2025 to 2035.
“Institutions, mainly from rural areas, are supplied with water from other sources (local waterworks, local springs, wells,...). Schools generally do not have alternative sources of water supply and do not take measures to purify water (filtration, chlorination,...), including schools that are supplied with water from unimproved sources,” the government document states.
Head of the UNICEF representative office in Montenegro Mike Servadei It says that "every child has the right to clean water - at home, at school and everywhere".
“UNICEF is currently, in collaboration with the Swedish International Water Institute, analyzing the water supply system in Montenegro to identify key challenges. We invite all partners to join this analysis in order to jointly find practical solutions and strengthen the system, increasing its efficiency and ensuring that it better responds to challenges, including those arising from climate change. Working together, we can ensure that every child in Montenegro has access to clean water, now and in the future,” Servadei emphasized in a statement to “Vijesti”.
He pointed out that UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation to ensure that every child in Montenegro has access to clean water in their kindergarten and school.
"The Education System Reform Strategy for the next 10 years, which was developed with the support of the EU and UNICEF, includes an entire chapter on improving water supply, sanitation and hygiene in schools. We expect the Government to adopt this Strategy soon, and UNICEF will support its implementation," said Servadei.
UNICEF also says that the data is clear - water supply, sanitation and hygiene in educational institutions are closely linked to educational outcomes, health and nutrition of children, so they transcend the boundaries of just one department and represent an area that requires multisectoral cooperation.
"Children who regularly drink water while at school have better cognitive abilities, better memory and acquire new knowledge. Maintaining functional and clean toilets in schools contributes to children's health and increases concentration during classes. Good hand hygiene in schools reduces the risk of the occurrence and spread of infectious diseases and thus maintains children's health, contributing to reducing absenteeism. By providing conditions for menstrual hygiene and increasing the availability of water and hygiene for children with limited mobility and disabilities in schools, we enable the inclusive and equitable environment for all students that we all strive for," UNICEF said.
The department is also aware of the problems with water supply, sanitation and hygiene in kindergartens and schools. Anđele Jakšić-Stojanović.
Thus, one of the measures in the Draft Ten-Year Strategy emphasizes that “existing water supply and sanitation facilities must be improved”.
Therefore, they plan to establish norms and standards related to hygiene and sanitary conditions in schools, nutrition, and other areas important for a quality school environment.
"But also the connection of the information systems of the Institute of Public Health and the Ministry of Education and the regular exchange of data for the purpose of quality policies and interventions. It is necessary to provide conditions for regular water control, and in accordance with the National Drinking Water Monitoring Program, improve the implementation of drinking water quality testing in cooperation with the Ministry of Health...", is stipulated in that strategic document, which should be adopted soon.
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