<![CDATA[Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene is essential for a healthy school environment and student learning. This study examined WASH access, its relationship with student attendance and academic achievement, and factors influencing its implementation. A mixed-methods approach with a sequential explanatory design involved 27 elementary schools in rural and urban areas selected through proportionate stratified random sampling. Quantitative data were analysed using Spearman’s rho and multiple linear regression, while qualitative data were analysed descriptively. Results showed disparities in WASH access. The findings revealed substantial disparities in WASH access between urban and rural elementary schools, with rural schools predominantly experiencing limited or no access. WASH access showed strong positive relationships with student attendance (ρ = 0.69) and academic achievement (ρ = 0.92). WASH access and student attendance simultaneously significantly influenced academic achievement (p < 0.001), explaining 84.3% of its variation, with WASH access as the dominant predictor (β = 0.873). Qualitative findings identified water availability, funding, and external collaboration as supporting factors, while limited infrastructure, budget constraints, and weak institutional capacity hindered implementation. Therefore, integrated WASH improvements are needed, particularly in rural schools.]]>
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