An ENVIRONMENTAL activist said it was “unbelievable” that less than half of the city’s schools use a government program to provide free period products.
Only 32 of the 67 state-funded Brighton and Hove schools ordered free products for their students between January 2020, when the program was introduced, and the end of last year.
Ella Daish, who started the End Period Plastic campaign, said the Education Department’s figures were concerning both socially and environmentally.
% image (‘12057252’, type = “article-full”, alt = “Ella, who lives in Brighton, said the numbers were ” amazing “”)
She said: “No one should miss their training because they don’t have access to these essentials, which is why registration is crucial.
“I urge schools to register and choose the green options available so that we can tackle period poverty and protect the environment at the same time.”
The Red Box Project, which campaigned for the program to be introduced, said all schools should participate to support one in 10 young people in times of poverty.
The products they can order include sanitary napkins and tampons, as well as eco-friendly alternatives such as menstrual cups and reusable pads.
They are available to all students who need them, including those who have forgotten products, who start their period unexpectedly, or cannot afford it.
Figures show that £ 17,045 has been spent in total to supply the products to Brighton and Hove.
Each participating school spent an average of £ 530, or around 70% of the £ 754 cap.
A report released by the Department of Education said schools were less likely to order vintage goods while students were learning at home during the pandemic.
Across England, uptake of the program was around 41% in primary schools and 76% in secondary schools.
Clegg Bamber, co-founder of The Red Box Project, said: “While elementary schools will not have as many menstruating students as high schools, there will still be students who are menstruating and rightly should have access to menstrual products they need at school.
“Starting your period at any age can be a painful time, even more so when you’re in school, but by making period products available to students who need them, you don’t have to worry about where they’re going. . to be able to find a suitable period product. ”
An education ministry said no student should ever have to miss school because of their rules.
A spokesperson said: ‘More than three-quarters of secondary schools and public colleges in England accessed period products using the government curriculum in their first year.
“The program has remained operational during the partial school and college closures, and now that they have returned, we expect the adoption of the program to return to pre-foreclosure levels.
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-05-01 06:00:00
