Access to water is a human right. It’s essential to a child’s right to health, and to fully realising their right to education.

In 2019 the Children’s Future Food Inquiry report identified access to free drinking water in schools as a key issue which disproportionately impacts children experiencing poverty and food insecurity. 

Education authorities in Scotland are required to provide drinking water to children in schools. This duty is set out in Regulation 7 of The Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020.

This is still the law during the coronavirus pandemic.

No emergency law or policy has changed this.

No guidance has been issued at a national level which would prevent water being provided to children in school for health reasons.

It is important that access to drinking water is provided safely and education authorities should support schools to do this.

If you’re not being allowed access to fresh water at your school – or if you know of a child or young person who’s being denied it – you should contact the head teacher in the first instance and draw their attention to the regulations and to this statement.

If necessary you can ask the head teacher to seek advice from the education authority, who should support them to ensure that drinking water can be provided within the school in a way that protects the rights to health of children and staff. 

The Commissioner’s office has written to the Scottish Government asking them to provide clarity to schools on this matter.