Aim of the Course

The aim of this course is to provide the target audience with an understanding of the role water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) can have in schools in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to provide necessary information and tools to ensure WASH related services and procedures are available in schools so as to limit the transmission of COVID-19.


Target Audience

This course is made for advisory and managerial staff focusing on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in schools. These staff may be in local or national government or they may work for an NGO, a UN agency or  a community-based organization.


Module 1 – Introduction to WASH in schools 

  • Understand what is the target audience of the course and its aim and learning outcomes
  • Understand how COVID-19 spreads and what is the role of WASH in limiting the transmission of COVID-19 in schools and in their surrounding communities.

  • Have an overview of some overarching considerations that are relevant to the design and implementation of an effective WASH in school response to COVID-19.


Module 2 – Safe and enabling environment

  • Understand why it is important to guarantee supply of safe and sufficient water in schools and what minimum standards we should aim to achieve.
  • Understand the importance of hand hygiene in school settings and what can be done for enhancing this behavior during the pandemic context.
  • Understand why it is important to have adequate and functional sanitation infrastructures in school settings (toilets, showers and wastewater management facilities) and what minimum standards we should aim to achieve.
  • Understand why solid waste management is important and what infrastructures and procedures schools should have in place to reduce disease transmission and environmental pollution linked with school waste management.
  • Understand why cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and equipment used in school settings is important and what supplies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) schools should have in place to enable environmental hygiene.
  • Understand how schools' layout can be changed and which considerations around ventilation should be made in school settings to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
  • Understand the importance of cleaning, maintenance and training activities to keep WASH infrastructures functional.
  • Understand the type and quantities of supplies schools should be provided with for enabling barriers to the COVID-19 transmission.


Module 3 – Hygiene behaviors and health procedures

  • Understand the importance and what measures can be undertaken to enable hand and respiratory hygiene and physical distance in schools.
  • Understand what can be done to ensure a safe and proper use of water, sanitation and waste management facilities. And what other hygiene behavior related to food preparation and to menstrual hygiene management can be relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Understand what health procedures related to screening and case management can be implemented at school level to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.


Module 4 – Needs assessment and monitoring

Knowing what tools are available for assessing what are the WASH needs of schools and how to monitor the functionality of WASH services and the implementation of effective WASH related behaviors during the pandemic context.