Want better grades? Improve your hygiene

Students, teachers and parents have different perceptions when it comes to neatness. Much as some students are seen on a daily basis putting on ironed uniforms with their shirts tacked in and shoes buckled, others have the liberty to move around with their tops freely hanging and unbothered about the condition of their attire. Like the old saying that cleanliness is next to godliness, it is believed that there is a strong connection between neatness at school and academic performance, which means that students are required to maintain some minimum standards. Nelson Tabu, the headmaster of Kigali Parents Secondary School, explains that good organisation in class starts with smartness but it is a practice that should be adopted right from home. “The first thing a student does right after waking up affects their routine at school. While one may choose to wake up, brush his teeth, shower, polish the shoes and organise his backpack before heading to school, the other may just walk to school without even taking a shower or ironing their uniform. Such poor organisation is even reflected in the way students respond to the questions,” he says. Tabu regards untidiness as a form of indiscipline, adding that parents have a big role to play in ensuring that good personal hygiene is observed because without their (parents) cooperation, some students report to school dirty. “It is not only schools that are in direct contact with the children, but parents too. When children are found dirty at school it always reflect badly on the home where they come from. So for better results we ensure that any form of untidiness is first reported to the parents,” adds Tabu. Why a clean school uniform? Aminadhad Niyonshuti, an English teacher at Apaper, Kicukiro, says proper dressing is very important in observing smartness at school and students should learn to take good care of their uniforms. “You can do all the right things but the way you keep your clothes matters a lot. If kept poorly, uniforms can be stained or creased and eventually when you put them on, it is impossible to look smart,” says Niyonshuti. Wasswa William, the dean of students at ESSA Nyarugunga, says most school policies dictate how students observe smartness. “There are regulations about the school uniform. Some schools will, for instance, say we want only black shoes and a tie as part of the dressing. Others emphasise that without clean shoes and a uniform, the student should not be allowed to enter school. That is how you create a sense of smartness among students,” says Wasswa. He further warns that cleanliness should be accompanied by proper conduct as students move to and from school. “Much as the attire should be neat, there is no point dressing well and you carry yourself unbecomingly on the way to or from school. It is totally wrong and does not indicate any sense of smartness,” warns Waswa. On boys who put on trousers, Celestine Kwizera, a teacher at GS Rugando, points out that it is a common practice for students to put on socks that don’t match. “Sometimes, students put on different socks and by virtue of the long trousers they may not be visible. This is not smart at all, after obeying school rules includes following the dressing code as well,” he adds Observing organisation in boarding schools Augustine Gatera, the director of the unit of languages and humanities at Rwanda Education Board, explains that smartness constitutes orderliness for students and should be rewarded. “In one school where I taught, right from the primary level, orderly pupils would receive rewards. The selection criteria would base on the uniform, well kempt hair and the way students handle property such as books. Teachers would have to determine whether the books are well covered and clean,” explains Gatera. Students in class. Studies show that smart students always tend to be attentive and orderly in class. (Solomon Asaba) While some students in day schools are lucky to learn from their parents, others find it hard to learn basic hygiene principles from boarding schools. Gatera adds that for boarding schools, assessing smartness should go beyond the school uniform and personal appearance to conduct within the dormitories. “It is important to investigate how often the beds are laid, washing of bed sheets, the routine of showering or body hygiene and how belongings are kept. Even the way students maintain oral hygiene should be checked. A combination of this contributes to punctuality and excellence in class because the student is always prepared,” adds Gatera. Claudine Uwamahoro, a teacher at St Patrick in Kikukiro, echoes similar views explaining that students should at all time ensure that their undergarments are clean. “After brushing their teeth and cleaning their clothes, all underwear should be maintained clean because dirty attire affects concentration in class. Remember a health body means a healthy mind,” explains Uwamahoro. Gender sensitive cleanliness and school facilities The National School Healthy Policy calls for extension of cleanlinessin facilities such as classrooms, toilets and kitchens to prevent students from becoming sick. The policy also emphasises that hand washing and provision of gender-sensitive sanitation and menstrual care products are necessary for students at school. The Rwanda Education Board also established special rooms (Icyumba Cy’umukobwa) in schools for girls to ensure that they are clean all the time. “After ensuring that your body is clean, other facilities should also be kept sparkling too. Menstrual sanitation is important for girls particularly,” adds Kwizera. Studies by the World Health Organisation show that poor health for children begins with poor standards of hygiene and this affects their ability to learn. It also influences their prospects in life. Increasing the number and standard of school facilities was also found to be necessary in reducing the dropout rates, especially for adolescent girls. editorial@newtimes.co.rw ******************************************** Personal hygiene learning for children A hygienic lifestyle encompasses both physical and emotional health. For children, good health and hygiene practices go hand-in-hand with effective learning. Equally, learning about having a healthy and hygienic lifestyle helps give children the independence and confidence to make well-informed decisions about their health, which have life-long implications. How poor hygiene affects learning A child with poor personal hygiene may feel ostracised from school by the reactions of their peers, and often teaching staff are unsure of how to address the issue. For this child, the school environment can quickly become a very negative place, with their learning experiences becoming tainted by their social interactions. “They can become withdrawn and lose a great deal of confidence,” says special educational needs teacher Sue Bishop. “This then affects their motivation and stimulation to learn.” Lack of proper hygiene in children can also make them more susceptible to contracting illnesses such as stomach bugs, causing absences from school. Hygiene for life Learning about hygiene helps children begin to understand and make sense of different bodily functions. Hygiene consolidates learning in curriculum areas, such science and physical education, giving real and physical examples of life-processes, such as breathing and sweating, and highlights links between food prep and food poisoning. Many schools approach the teaching of hygiene through Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE).Help your child learn good hygiene - Model good hygiene yourself. For example, wash your hands before food prep - Ask your child to explain why they think we need to keep our bodies clean, you could discuss things such as smells and illnesses - Ask them when we need to be extra hygienic, such as after going to the toilet, or when touching food, and ask them what hygiene routine they need to carry out, such as hand-washing - Make sure your child has clean clothes to wear; you could even get them to watch you do the washing so they understand how it is done. Agencies ******************************************** Students have their say on school rules Carine Uwineza, a student from Mother Mary School Carine Uwineza There are some rules which are very tight for no reason. The curriculum should be concerned more with equipping students with skills for future use rather than things that have nothing to do with one’s academic performance. Rebecca Macyeyukuri, S3 student ant St Patrick, Kicukiro Rebecca Macyeyukuri Not all the school regulations are important as far as our academics are concerned. For instance, prohibiting female students from wearing earrings and plaiting their hair is unnecessary. Divine Ishimwe, an S2 student at GS Rugando Divine Ishimwe According to me, rules such as stopping students from wearing any stylish clothes are unnecessary. Even students need that freedom to prepare to fit in the outside world. School rules should be flexible to suit modern trends. Maxine Mucyo, a S2 student at Harvest School Maxine Mucyo Restriction of cell phone use at school is unnecessary because students can access the gadgets while at home, while others even go a notch higher to use them secretly while at school. Again, smartphones can help students in doing research, which is part of education. Steve Umuhire, S3 student at Apapper School Steve Umuhire Although wearing uniform ensures uniformity for students, I don’t agree with that rule, especially in high schools. Pupils should be left to wear whatever they want so long as they are not indecent. By Lydia Atieno