School monitoring: Public Defender says 16 out 108 schools lack drinking water

Public Defender Nino Lomjaria says that 16 out of 108 monitored schools in Georgia do not have drinking water at all.

She stated that the worst situation was detected in mountainous regions of the country.

"Access to water is an important and fundamental right of the child. We studied 108 schools in six regions. 16 out of the monitored schools do not have drinking water at all, while water quality is not checked in most of the schools; many schools do not have access to technical water. In such conditions, students cannot get enough drinking water.

“The sanitary issues are not settled as well. Majority of toilets are located in the yard, and in many cases, there are no isolated booths for boys and girls. This situation seriously impedes children's development and their attendance at school," said Lomjaria.

Last year the Ombudsman’s Office studied the sanitary situation in public schools of Kvemo Kartli region and stated the conditions there are “alarming.”

Lomjaria addressed Kvemo Kartli municipalities with a recommendation to ensure access to safe water and sanitation.

“The monitoring carried out by the Public Defender’s Office in several schools of Marneuli, Tsalka, Gardabani and Dmanisi municipalities in June 2018 showed that the school environment, infrastructure, access to water and sanitary situation are alarming and need to be urgently improved, which should be seen by the relevant agencies as one of the most important priorities,” Lomjaria’s statement reads.

The Georgian government claims that education in mountainous regions is among their top priorities and pledge “significant improvements” beginning this year.