BY SHOREYANN RAGOSO
Access to clean water and proper sanitation remains one of the biggest challenges facing Honiara Senior High School today.
Speaking recently to SUNDAY ISLES, School Principal Mr Allan Ketei shared the school’s ongoing struggle to ensure students have reliable water so that classes can continue without disruption.
“Water is a big issue in schools and also for Honiara Senior High School,” Mr Ketei said. “So far last year we have water that comes efficiently, but then there are times where we connect water from Solomon Islands Water Authority (SIWA), but sometimes SIWA water is affecting our class times.”
Mr Ketei explained that when the supply from the Solomon Islands Water Authority is interrupted, it directly impacts learning. Without water, students cannot use toilets properly, wash their hands, or keep classrooms clean. This sometimes forces delays or adjustments to class schedules.
“We are trying our best to work with other stakeholders in making sure that there is efficiency in terms of water availability,” he said. “One of the challenges for the school is to have other sources apart from SIWA.”
Sanitation is another serious concern. According to Mr Ketei, the number of facilities does not match the growing number of students enrolled each year.
“Sanitation is one of the major issues and challenges to Honiara Senior High School because of the facilities in comparison with the number of students we enrol,” he said. “We are trying our best with stakeholders to make sure we have the right facilities, especially sanitation, to provide for our students.”
Last year, the school received support through a WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) facility organised by UNICEF and World Vision, funded by the New Zealand Government. The new facility helped improve hygiene conditions for students.
Earlier this year, the school received another WASH project from the Ministry of Education, which constructions are expected to begin in the coming weeks or months.
“This is a way forward for Honiara Senior High School in terms of sanitation,” Mr Ketei said. “The number increases every year and we need to provide these necessary facilities in helping our students.”
When there are water shortages, the school acts quickly. “When issues like that happen, we are trying our best to connect with those who are offering the service, and we have our water tanks filled up to cope with that situation,” he explained.
The school also has an environmental committee made up of staff and students. The committee leads daily clean-up programs and promotes good hygiene practices.
“We are working on improvement plans and looking for funding and support to make sure we are on track and provide the right facilities for our students,” Mr Ketei said.
