The requirement applies to schools implementing general or vocational primary or secondary education. The aim is to eliminate inequalities and ensure that girls can address their menstrual hygiene needs at school.
According to the Ministry of Health (VM), 36% of schools, or 199, already provide packages for girls in varying amounts, but this was not a mandatory requirement until now.
The approved amendments oblige schools to ensure that all educational institutions provide girls with the same minimum access to menstrual support. The location of the hygiene products can be determined by the school itself. If they are not freely available in the bathrooms, students must still be able to easily access them.
The Ministry estimates that providing hygiene kits could cost an average of €1,886 per year per school. At the same time, the VM has noted that the situation may differ from one educational establishment to another and from one municipality to another.
"Such support not only creates a safer and more comfortable environment but also promotes knowledge and awareness of health issues, removes barriers, and encourages better attendance and engagement in the learning process," the MoH said.
The regulation has also been amended to reduce the spread of communicable diseases among pupils and teachers. It stipulates that a pupil must not attend an educational establishment if he/she shows signs of acute infectious disease, such as diarrhea, vomiting, jaundice, high body temperature, or an infectious rash.
